I have been working in the disability field now for over six years. In that time, I have worked closely with people who experience a wide range of disabilities including folks who were blind and deaf, folks who had acquired brain injury, diseases like cerebral palsy, and AIDS, folks who live with depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, folks who move around in wheel chairs, walk with canes, and ride around in scooters, folks with ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, Autism, Asperger's Syndrome and a ton of other disabilities. I can tell you this. Often the ONLY thing these people have in common is that they all can be identified as people with disabilities.
When I was struggling with my experiences as a white-identified woman engaging in anti-racism activism, I learned about the role of being an ally. I have come to really appreciate the word. Being an ally is about supporting others who have different experiences than you do, standing ready to have their back but never forgetting that you cannot share their unique experiences. All identity politics are well serviced by alliances like these - when straight people vote to support gay marriage, when men support the women's movement by talking to their sons and brothers about violence against women - and I believe our community is no different. Personally I live with mobility and mental health disabilities, but I cannot do anything more respectful for people with learning disabilities or ADHD than be an ally. I sit humbly, waiting for you to teach me about your challenges. And I hope that you will do the same when I share about my own limitations and struggles.
Additionally, when 1 in 10 people in this country are disabled and so many of us live with invisible disabilities, we know that the disabled community reaches deeply into all communities, regardless of their unifying feature. Therefore we must be allies beyond our own boundaries, allies to other marginalized communities so that we can understand each other. The disability community, perhaps more than any other, crosses the boundaries of ethnicity, gender and gender expression, class, race, sexual orientation, and body size. We are in a prime place for creating supportive and respectful alliances both with each other and with communities outside of our own.
So in honor of the recognition that we are NOT all alike, but we are united in our passion to fight for our rightful and equal access to a quality seminary education, and in honor of our social location as a common ground for communities and identity based groups all around us, I feel that the concept of a Disability Alliance is a powerful and useful foundation from which to build our community. I hope you agree.
Katie Koumatos
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