We Need To Stop Patrolling The Borders Of Disability

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Jun 30, 2020,01:12pm EDT|

We Need To Stop Patrolling The Borders Of Disability

Andrew Pulrang
Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Exploring disability practices, policy, politics, and culture.

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Deciding who is and isn’t disabled, who does and doesn’t deserve accommodation, is complicated. Most efforts to distinguish fakers from “real” disabled people usually do more harm than good.

There is sometimes real reason for skepticism. One of the newest weapons in the ongoing politicization of Covid-19 is the trend of people seeking moral and legal cover for their refusal to wear a face mask, by claiming that they can’t wear them because of an underlying health condition or disability.

This woman’s sudden public tirade, and calling the Trader Joe’s staff “Democratic pigs,” undermine her claim that she should be excused from wearing a mask in public because of a breathing condition. Many disabled people certainly do advocate for their rights, sometimes forcefully. But most disabled people don’t respond quite this way to awkward or mildly ableist encounters like this in public places. And the woman’s choice of words strongly suggests a political motive having nothing to do with disability rights.

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