Remember those with disabilities as you prepare for a ‘new normal’

Today, people around the world observe The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). Established on Dec. 3, 1992, by the United Nations, IDPD celebrates inclusion, awareness and disability rights on a global scale.

The disability community is the largest minority, making up 15% of the world’s population. When you think of who “counts” as disabled, you likely imagine a definition like the one included in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It describes disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly affects a person’s day-to-day life.

However, disability is also a collective social experience. People experience themselves as disabled when they encounter ableism — pervasive prejudice against people with disabilities that produces inaccessible environments and discriminatory treatment.

The acclaimed documentary “Crip Camp” chronicles the rise of the disability-rights movement in the United States. Activists like Judy Heumann galvanized social change in the 1970s by calling attention to the ways in which disabled people are often treated as second-class citizens.

More recently, hashtag movements like #cripthevote, spearheaded by Alice Wong of the Disability Visibility Project, have emerged to empower disabled citizens to resist continued injustice.

On IDPD 2021, the United Nations emphasizes that “the commitment to realizing the rights of persons with disabilities is not only a matter of justice, it is an investment in a common future.”

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fact that the disability-rights movement still has work to accomplish.

People with disabilities watched as limited access to personal protective equipment, uneven distribution of vaccines and resistance to mask mandates threatened their ability to participate safely in society. They organized to oppose hospital ventilator triage policies that denied them access to life-saving treatments. As we focus on returning to “normal,” it is more important than ever to observe IDPD.

Returning to “normal” is not possible for everyone: As the world continues to peel back COVID precautions, many people with disabilities and their families must continue to be cautious.

In the workplace, employees who are immunocompromised face difficult conversations with their bosses as workfrom-home options evaporate. In schools and on college campuses children and young people with disabilities may feel left out when peers no longer take the COVID threat seriously.

Returning to “normal” is not great for everyone: The phrase “normal” is not inclusive. Who defines “normal”? And are we certain “normal” is good?

For people with disabilities, living in a “normal” society has meant constantly adapting to structures and systems that are not designed for them. Returning to “normal,” people may expect to revert to more rigid expectations while coping with unpredictable chronic conditions. For instance, an employee with Crohn’s Disease may find it difficult to navigate strict workplace-leave policies if they are experiencing a flareup, while students with chronic pain might struggle to meet the requirements of stringent attendance policies.

Now is the time to create a “new normal”: How might we pursue a “new normal?” During the pandemic, people became more adaptive to changing circumstances. We can tap into this flexible spirit to reimagine a more inclusive society,

In his message for IDPD 2021, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres wrote, “A disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be guided by persons with disabilities themselves, forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination, expand access to technology and strengthen institutions to create a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”

In the U.S., discussions around postCOVID infrastructure initiatives have included conversations with disability activists who assert that “care can’t wait.”

Part of creating a “new normal” involves learning about disability culture and history. For example, students at Rollins College learn about ableism and disability pride in several classes such as Disability and Social Change and by participating in disability-related organizations. This spring, the college will host its first Disability Empowerment Week in partnership with disability-focused nonprofits.

On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, consider getting involved with disability-related organizations in your community.