The War on Disabled People & Disability Rights: A Short Essay & Poem

by Rohit Doel ​for The 44 North

Guest Writer

Rohit is a poet & disability justice activist. Connect with him on Instagram, here.

Rohit, wearing a galaxy-patterned long-sleeve top, holding a guitar painted with Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night."

"Always look for the light when trapped in the Darkness" —Rohit

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“We all need equal access and opportunity, and that includes disabled people! If it doesn’t, none of us will succeed in this life. None of us will be free. Disabled people deserve their own independence and the life they dream about living, without being vilified for their existence and needs.”

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Spoiler…I’m terrified…

As a disabled person, I’m worried for the future of disabled people, particularly speaking as a disabled Person of Colour (POC).

In this essay & poem, we'll be discussing what:

• Disability justice is and what our rights are

• Cuts to services and important things we need to survive

• Increased hatred, i.e racism, ableism, etc.

• What we can do to combat these issues

What is Disability Justice?

Essentially, disability justice centres the most vulnerable and marginalized people in our society: autistic/disabled POC and 2SLGTBQIA+ People. Disability justice also includes discussing important issues like racism, ableism, and transphobia, as well as facing oppression and stigma in everyday society.

Some of the rights disabled people have, which should always be upheld, are:

• Equal access to education and extra support.

• The right to not be disadvantaged from opportunities compared to non-disabled people because of disability.

• Access to important services through work, PIP over here in the U.K., Medicare & Social Security in the U.S., the Canada Disability Benefit, Health Services, the Human Rights Act, and the Equality Act. 

• The ability to access supports to help us navigate everyday life, such as mobility aids, wheelchairs, or hearing aids.

Cuts to Important Services

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed an ever-increasing surge of potential cuts to disability funding and important services. PIP in the U.K. is being cut, alongside Medicare in the U.S. with the government shutdown. The RCMP Disability Pension Program in Canada is also facing cuts alongside NHS cuts here in the U.K., forcing people back into work they cannot do due to poor health or inaccessible work environments that don’t meet the needs of disabled people.

This needs to be discussed and stopped because all over the world—including Sweden, France, Germany and other countries—cuts to health programs and disability resources (which disabled people specifically rely on to survive) are vital. These supports help make life easier, more viable, and independent. Cutting these services only puts disabled people—like me—in poverty and in turn, kills us. It’s important to maintain access to these public services for the sake of disabled people and their livelihoods.

Increased Hatred

I’ve noticed, as a disabled POC, that I’ve been receiving a lot of racist abuse, ableism (internally from my own community and externally), and have been excluded from key opportunities because I’m autistic and need vital support services like home heating. 

Much of this is sprouting from the hateful language we’re seeing in the media, specifically about immigrants, describing disabled people as “scroungers,” “handicapped,” or the R-slur (and much more).

The sad thing, to me, is that our governments and specific people in power are enabling this language and stirring up waves of hate against others which, to be plain, is unacceptable. So many people have accused me of “not being disabled enough” or told me to “go back to my own country.” I’ve heard racist jabs from others as well as folks in the disabled community. This reminds me of how deeply we’ve internalised ableism/racism. It still exists. Hatred to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community still exists. Transphobia and Homophobia are rising rapidly. Too many have the power to limit our rights and dehumanise us. Which is not okay. Let’s take it back!

What can we do to combat this?

• Call on your government and policymakers to express kindness not hate

• Stand up to the anti-disability hate and anti-immigration sentiments when you hear, see, or read them in person and online

• Educate others on important issues happening in your community, because they’re often connected to disability rights and justice

• Don’t accidentally support cuts to vital services—disabled people like me rely on them for survival! 

• Be empathetic and spread the message that disabled people matter

• Don’t encourage forcing people into work—focus on ways to support disabled people with their condition/access requirements to work how and when they’re ready

• Educate people in your circle about disability justice

These may be hopeful, wishful thoughts, but let’s be real together: everyone should be pro-disability!

Conclusion

To conclude, we need to engage in disability justice together to combat racism, ableism, hate, and discrimination. Equally externally and internally, cuts to important services cannot continue. We all need equal access and opportunity, and that includes disabled people! If it doesn’t, none of us will succeed in this life. None of us will be free. Disabled people deserve their own independence and the life they dream about living, without being vilified for their existence and needs. 

I will leave us here with a little poem that speaks volumes to what's happening right now, and how I feel:

Illuminous rainbows

Fainting Daisies

Why must my existence 

 curve with sorrow

Long waiting times at the hospital

feeling bruises all over

my body feels brittle

exhausted fighting for justice

Rainbows full of colour

signal disability pride

This is our hour, our euphoria

yet my chest feels so sour

Why the hate

when I’ve been your mate 

in identity, culture, origin 

we can’t erase 

Just like you 

can’t erase an existence

I’m disabled and I’m proud 

and will continue to be 

always, lovingly forever