S02, Ep.13: The Inclusion War
Mandi wraps up season 2 with a look at what true disability inclusion is and is not.
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Transcript
Mandi: Mandi Frantz here welcoming you to my podcast - Find Your Beautiful: Life Through the Eyes of a Christian Disabled Woman.
Mandi: It's Black History Month! I hope everyone is taking the time, not just this month, but regularly, to teach themselves and those around them about different cultures. And I'm not talking about just the pretty stuff, or the delicious foods. I'm talking about the real stories, which sometimes include tragedy. Mandi: Mandi Frantz here welcoming you to my podcast - Find Your Beautiful: Life Through the Eyes of a Christian Disabled Woman.
[Upbeat Background Music]
As I was thinking about some of the big name figures that get honored this month, I started thinking about this idea of separate, but equal. Quick history lesson, the phrase was actually equal, but separate and during the era of the Jim Crow Laws, this was the US' way of trying to create a loop hole in the 14th Amendment. For those who may not know, the 14th Amendment grants all United States' citizens equal protection under the law. Therefore, it was concluded, and enforced by the Supreme Court at one time, that Blacks and Whites should be segregated as long as everyone had equal opportunities. The states were empowered to make decisions about segregation, meaning the Southern states of the former Confederate States of America were within their full legal rights to have separate schools, hospitals, bathrooms, and any other public facility it so desired.
There were two major issues with this concept equal, but separate. The first are the tangible things. If you look back, it is clear that there was nothing equal about the separate facilities offered to Black people. For example, school supplies at Black schools were essentially hand-me-downs from White schools, after they had been used and often were outdated and the Black schools received less public funding than White schools. The tangibles were not equal. Just as importantly, I'd venture to say more importantly, the intangible inequalities were huge! Segregation is not equal. It perpetuates wrong mindsets, prejudices, and discrimination. None of these things constitutes equality.
And this brings me to today's discussion on inclusion. In so many ways, we are following the doctrine of separate, but equal or equal, but separate. We cloud this doctrine in fancy buzz words like accommodations, equal access, ADA compliant, diversity, and anything preceded by the word "special," like special education, special needs program, etc. While Black people continue to fight for full integration, disabled people are warring for true inclusion.
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[Doorbell Sound Effect]
Mandi: College was a culture shock for me! I went to a specialized school for people with disabilities. While we all had different types of disabilities, being different in this way, made us all the same. I started attending that school at 4 years old, in Pre-K, and stopped when I graduated high school at 16. I pretty much grew up surrounded by people like me. The things we fought about, cried about, and laughed at hardly ever had to do with disability, save for the friends I lost due to progressive disabilities. Disability was normal and even though most, not all, but most, of my teachers didn't identify as disabled, teaching us was part of their norm. In fact, I rarely remember hearing the word accommodations, unless we were in a meeting with "outsiders," people who weren't with us day-to-day. Physical therapy, speech therapy, medical care, wheelchair clinic, these were all normal to me.
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't so naive as to think this is how the whole world was, or that all people would just treat me like an everyday Jane. No, I had typical sisters and lived a life outside of school, but still, going to college rocked me. By God's grace, I'm a social butterfly and love connecting with people. Sometimes I overcompensate, try to be friendly with just about everyone to fit in. In college though, I was scared. I felt like everyone was looking at me for all the wrong reasons. There were very few people like me. I can't remember ever taking a class in college with another student in a wheelchair. There was an entire office dedicated to meeting the accommodation needs of the disabled students. You could even take tests in their private office. They scheduled note takers and helped relocate classrooms that had no access for wheelchairs. I remember when I took Anatomy & Physiology. It was in one of those huge seminar classrooms, the ones where the seats are immovable and the only way to a seat near the front was via stairs. But technically, the room was accessible. Some people know the space where I sat as the nosebleed section. Mind you, the entire class only took up about 3 rows in the center section of the room, but there I was looking down at everyone like little ants. Did I have a question? It didn't matter. My questions had to be asked during office hours because there was no way my professor would see my gestures for her attention. I'll be honest, it wasn't my best academic class as A&P isn't my forte, but this unequal access to the classroom surely didn't help. I swear she gave me a D just to avoid me taking the class again.
So what is disability inclusion? It is ensuring that people with disabilities visibly and palpably belong to, are engaged in, and are actively connected to the goals and objectives of the whole wider society. I want to stress palpably because we too often overlook this aspect of inclusion. We too often stop at visibly. Palpably is synonymous to tangibly. People with disabilities need to be engaged in a tangible way with the wider society.
When I think about that A&P class, was I given an equal opportunity? I guess. But when we think about being visibly and palpably engaged, or truly belonging, was it really inclusive? Not at all. Allowing people with disabilities to be present is not inclusion. When we talk about the number of people with disabilities no longer in institutions, but living at home, "in their communities," are we talking about inclusion? No! Living locked away in my semi-wheelchair accessible home in no way indicates that I am a fully included member in society. Inclusion is much, much more than simply being visible. In fact, it is more than just having a voice. I can be the loudest one in a room, but until I am considered by others, I am not included. Does being considered mean you have to agree with me on everything? No. In fact, I'm likely to be more included if you take the time to debate with me and tell me why you think I'm wrong.
I'm a big believer that all people and all groups need a place where they can encounter and engage with like-minded people. This often means sharing likeness in other respects too. As an example, having a program that is solely for women or men, or siblings, or Black people, is great and needed. Inclusion doesn't mean being involved in everything. Disabled people can't be involved in everything. There are experiences that I will never have, nor be able to fully understand, that able-bodied people do. I'm so good with that! Remember, equality is not sameness. It is about being on the same field. When you create a separate field for people, no matter how many bells and whistles are invested, it will never be inclusion.
There's one more big thing I need to say about inclusion. It may be the most important thing you hear today. Inclusion is not about practicality. One of the most obnoxious loopholes in the law about accessibility is this idea that if making a space accessible puts a financial burden on a business, they can just continue leaving people with disabilities out. This idea of reasonable accommodations is just silly. How can you truly tell someone that making a way for them to engage with your space, or with you, is too impractical or unreasonable? How can you say this and say that you are inclusive? I get that things take time to build. I get that materials and labor costs money. To tell me you need the resources of time, money, and labor I can accept. To say you won't do it because it is unreasonable or impractical is able-ist. So let's be radically and impractically inclusive because people matter. Inclusion matters!
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't so naive as to think this is how the whole world was, or that all people would just treat me like an everyday Jane. No, I had typical sisters and lived a life outside of school, but still, going to college rocked me. By God's grace, I'm a social butterfly and love connecting with people. Sometimes I overcompensate, try to be friendly with just about everyone to fit in. In college though, I was scared. I felt like everyone was looking at me for all the wrong reasons. There were very few people like me. I can't remember ever taking a class in college with another student in a wheelchair. There was an entire office dedicated to meeting the accommodation needs of the disabled students. You could even take tests in their private office. They scheduled note takers and helped relocate classrooms that had no access for wheelchairs. I remember when I took Anatomy & Physiology. It was in one of those huge seminar classrooms, the ones where the seats are immovable and the only way to a seat near the front was via stairs. But technically, the room was accessible. Some people know the space where I sat as the nosebleed section. Mind you, the entire class only took up about 3 rows in the center section of the room, but there I was looking down at everyone like little ants. Did I have a question? It didn't matter. My questions had to be asked during office hours because there was no way my professor would see my gestures for her attention. I'll be honest, it wasn't my best academic class as A&P isn't my forte, but this unequal access to the classroom surely didn't help. I swear she gave me a D just to avoid me taking the class again.
So what is disability inclusion? It is ensuring that people with disabilities visibly and palpably belong to, are engaged in, and are actively connected to the goals and objectives of the whole wider society. I want to stress palpably because we too often overlook this aspect of inclusion. We too often stop at visibly. Palpably is synonymous to tangibly. People with disabilities need to be engaged in a tangible way with the wider society.
When I think about that A&P class, was I given an equal opportunity? I guess. But when we think about being visibly and palpably engaged, or truly belonging, was it really inclusive? Not at all. Allowing people with disabilities to be present is not inclusion. When we talk about the number of people with disabilities no longer in institutions, but living at home, "in their communities," are we talking about inclusion? No! Living locked away in my semi-wheelchair accessible home in no way indicates that I am a fully included member in society. Inclusion is much, much more than simply being visible. In fact, it is more than just having a voice. I can be the loudest one in a room, but until I am considered by others, I am not included. Does being considered mean you have to agree with me on everything? No. In fact, I'm likely to be more included if you take the time to debate with me and tell me why you think I'm wrong.
I'm a big believer that all people and all groups need a place where they can encounter and engage with like-minded people. This often means sharing likeness in other respects too. As an example, having a program that is solely for women or men, or siblings, or Black people, is great and needed. Inclusion doesn't mean being involved in everything. Disabled people can't be involved in everything. There are experiences that I will never have, nor be able to fully understand, that able-bodied people do. I'm so good with that! Remember, equality is not sameness. It is about being on the same field. When you create a separate field for people, no matter how many bells and whistles are invested, it will never be inclusion.
There's one more big thing I need to say about inclusion. It may be the most important thing you hear today. Inclusion is not about practicality. One of the most obnoxious loopholes in the law about accessibility is this idea that if making a space accessible puts a financial burden on a business, they can just continue leaving people with disabilities out. This idea of reasonable accommodations is just silly. How can you truly tell someone that making a way for them to engage with your space, or with you, is too impractical or unreasonable? How can you say this and say that you are inclusive? I get that things take time to build. I get that materials and labor costs money. To tell me you need the resources of time, money, and labor I can accept. To say you won't do it because it is unreasonable or impractical is able-ist. So let's be radically and impractically inclusive because people matter. Inclusion matters!
[Bling]
Mandi: I'd love to hear your experiences with inclusion, good and bad. Please download the Anchor mobile app, subscribe to this podcast so you can leave me a voice message with your questions and thoughts.
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other place you like to listen! Visit my website linked in the description to get access to all the platforms.
[Mandi voiceover to 'Compton' music]: It's a wrap! Season 2 is complete. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MandiBoxBeauty to stay connected, share topics you want to hear me talk about, and be the first to know when season 3 will launch. ‘Til next time Beauties!
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other place you like to listen! Visit my website linked in the description to get access to all the platforms.
[Mandi voiceover to 'Compton' music]: It's a wrap! Season 2 is complete. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MandiBoxBeauty to stay connected, share topics you want to hear me talk about, and be the first to know when season 3 will launch. ‘Til next time Beauties!
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