CW: Ableism & Depression
Today is January 20, which means it is The International Day of Acceptance. The International Day of Acceptance honors Annie Hopkins. Hopkins was the founder of 3E Love and the creator of the Symbol of Acceptance.
She started 3E Love with the goal of improving the world by teaching people the value of accepting diversity. The Symbol of Acceptance is a wheelchair in the shape of a heart. This sign brought together people of various abilities and sparked discussions that changed views for the better.
However, disabled people still don’t enjoy all of the rights that nondisabled people do. Many disabled people who rely on programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are still unable to marry. Their benefits can be reduced or eliminated.
When it comes to employment, there are numerous barriers for disabled people. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 21.3% of disabled people were employed in 2023. This is the highest percentage ever recorded since 2008.
Disabled people who are employed can also earn subminimum wages. The average hourly wage for people employed in these settings is $3.34 as of 2020. Subminimum wages are legal because certain disabled people have been allowed to be paid less than the minimum wage according to U.S. labor law since 1938. This law was enacted during the Great Depression to encourage more people to seek employment.
More than a dozen states have now outlawed this practice. According to a January 2023 report to Congress by the US Government Accountability Office, around 122,000 disabled workers were paid less than the federal minimum wage in 2019, compared to approximately 295,000 in 2010.
I’ve lived with cerebral palsy for 25 years. My understanding of cerebral palsy has changed over time. I am comfortable with my disability.
Throughout my childhood, I longed to fit in. I didn’t understand that it was okay to be disabled. All I wanted to do was belong.
People would push me to focus on my abilities rather than my disability. While emphasizing my strengths was intended to be helpful, it had the opposite effect. I wish that I’d had a better understanding of how cerebral palsy would affect everyday life.
Unlearning what I had been taught throughout my childhood was difficult and ultimately led to me developing depression at age 20. I couldn’t think straight, and I was constantly sad. By 2020, I had begun taking Prozac. For a couple of years, I also participated in weekly counseling sessions.
There are still times when I wish I didn’t have cerebral palsy so that I wouldn’t have to fight for everything I need. Things are harder when you have a disability. When you need accessible housing, medical equipment, or reasonable accommodations, the process is rarely quick.
Cerebral palsy is a part of my life. It can be difficult to find pride in your disability when you feel like you don’t belong. However, I’ll never know what it is like to be nondisabled.
Everything in life is affected by cerebral palsy in some way. Life with a disability is hard sometimes. However, a disability shouldn’t mean people are pitied. Cerebral palsy is part of who I am.
Sources:
Hopkins, Stevie. “International Day of Acceptance.” Muscular Dystrophy Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association, 27 July 2017, strongly.mda.org/international-day-of-acceptance/.
Hardy, Kevin. “Disabled Workers Can Be Paid Less than the Minimum Wage. Some States Want to End That” Stateline, States Newsroom, 28 Mar. 2024, stateline.org/2024/03/28/disabled-workers-can-be-paid-less-than-the-minimum-wage-some-states-want-to-end-that/.
Lagorce, Tammy. “For Disabled Couples, a Plea for Marriage Equality.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 15 Sept. 2023, http://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/15/fashion/weddings/disabled-couples-marriage-equality-rally.html.
Star, Eryn. “Marriage Equality Is Still Not a Reality: Disabled People and the Right to Marry.” Advocacy Monitor, National Council on Independent Living, 14 Nov. 2019, advocacymonitor.com/marriage-equality-is-still-not-a-reality-disabled-people-and-the-right-to-marry/.
Selyukh, Alina. “Workers with Disabilities Can Earn JUST $3.34 an HOUR. Agency Says Law Needs Change.” NPR, NPR, 17 Sept. 2020, http://www.npr.org/2020/09/17/912840482/u-s-agency-urges-end-to-below-minimum-wage-for-workers-with-disabilities.