Why it matters
Transcript
On screen titles: When was the last time you got some unsolicited advice? Did someone assume you needed it?
Did someone step in and take something off you? How did it make you feel?
It happens to disabled people every day. In fact, 3 out of 4 disabled people have experienced negative attitudes or behaviour in the last 5 years. Could your assumptions be disabling people?
People think they know what disabled people need
Cat: Everyone with a disability is different. Just because you’ve met one disabled person doesn’t mean that you’ve met every disabled person.
On screen title: And yet, every day wheelchair users are pushed around by strangers
Ash: You know, I was out and about shopping about to get on an escalator and somebody just grabbed my chair about to push me. You know I was a bit thrown off I was like ‘what’s going on?’ So, I turn around and the person looked a bit puzzled that, “oh, maybe I shouldn’t have done that”. And the reality is all you should have done is just ask. You know, and if I wanted your help, I probably would’ve said yeah or no. Do you know what I mean?
On screen title: Autistic people get weird comments
Niall: Being autistic, an assumption that I guess surprised me the amount of times that I hear it is people coming up to me and saying things like you don’t look autistic there’s this assumption that autism has a specific look when it doesn’t I’m happy to talk to people about autism and hopefully educate them in some kind of small way but assumptions like that can be really harmful to the autistic community and I really wish people would sometimes you know learn more about disabilities before you know coming up to someone and making a generalised statement.
On screen title: People with visible disabilities are made to feel like public property
Cat: People feel they have the right to ask you about your disability, your injury. Especially when it’s on you or it’s visible. So those experiences make it really hard and I think some people just don’t know what to do.
On screen title: Disabled people need allies. And armed with the right questions you can be one of them
Cat: To be a good ally you just have to remember that that person is a person. They’re your friend, they’re your family member. Ask about me, not my disability.
On screen title: All you need to do is ask, don’t assume
Ash: So when it comes to disability…
Cat: Ask.
Niall: Don’t assume.
Cat & her friend: Cut! Cut!
On screen title: Disability. Together we can do better.
Hashtag, ask don’t assume.