You Have What It Takes To Be An Ally To The Disability Community
Written by guest blogger and Friend of Turnstone, Halsey Blocher.
If you were to ask me how best to be an ally to the disability community, there could be a lot of different directions for that conversation to go. We could discuss areas of need within disabled populations, organizations and fundraisers to get involved with, awareness initiatives, and so much more.
However you decide to support the disability community, we appreciate your desire and effort to do so. But if you want my honest opinion, there’s one step that is essential no matter what you do. You must choose to see us.
That sounds pretty easy, right? After all, it shouldn’t be hard to spot disabled people moving through the world with their wheelchairs, other mobility aides, medical equipment, assistive technology, caregivers, and service animals.
That’s not the kind of sight I’m talking about, though. I’m referring to something less literal than the sights we take in with our eyes. I’m talking about how we open up our hearts and minds to fully recognize and embrace fellow human beings with empathy and an appreciation for who they are.
If you’ll indulge me with a pop culture reference, I believe the characters in the movie “Avatar” can offer us an example of what this might look like.
The Na’vi people, the blue aliens that inhabit the fictional planet of Pandora, have a vibrant culture that incorporates religion, language, tradition, and community. They also have a unique way of greeting each other. No matter the social status of the person they’re approaching, they all exchange the greeting of, “I see you.”
This may seem odd, but it’s actually deeply meaningful. It isn’t just a simple greeting, nor is it like when we ask, “How are you?” without pausing to hear the answer. Instead, this is a genuine acknowledgment of the significance of every life they cross paths with. Spoken in an intentional tone of great respect, it indicates that the person being addressed has an important role in the world and should be treated as such.
As I mentioned earlier, this greeting is not reserved for nobility or people of authority. It’s for everyone. Even animals are seen as worthy of this type of recognition. Can you imagine what our society might be like if we also made an effort to view everyone in this way?
Bringing things back to Earth, we can also gain additional insight on this matter by looking right here in our own hometown. In fact, we can find it within Turnstone, specifically on the goalball court.
Although none of them can see me clearly — if at all — I’ve never felt unseen by a goalball athlete. Sometimes, they even seem more aware of my presence than people without any visual impairments.
As we each traverse Turnstone’s hallways, we need to be cognizant of the spaces and people around us to ensure that we don’t collide. This is true of everyone in any shared space. Yet, not everyone remembers to expand their focus far enough to be considerate of people who may require a little extra assistance or room to maneuver.
Throughout my life, I’ve been crashed into by several people who simply didn’t see me. And I can’t honestly say that I’ve never accidentally bumped into people when I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have been.
I’ve never come even close to colliding with a blind person, though. Why? Because we are mindful of each other’s presence and use our strengths to help each other.
When I cross paths with a blind person, I verbally greet them and identify my location, and as they respond, they adjust their trajectory to allow my wheelchair to safely pass by. By working together and making an effort to acknowledge each other, we move and exist in harmony.
Putting this idea of seeing one another into practice may sound simple enough, but it will take time and effort before it becomes instinctual. It requires intentionality, repetition, and grace. It asks us to set aside our own opinions, judgments, and perceptions. It takes hard work and commitment, but it’s worth it.
We’ll probably all fall short at times. The good news is that we don’t have to be perfect. We just have to try our best. It’s not something any of us has to do alone, either. We can all be allies to each other, lifting each other up and rooting for everyone’s success.
Regardless of your exact aspirations for becoming an ally to the disability community, trust me when I tell you that it all starts here. In a world that too often sees us as nothing more than disembodied names on paper, drains on society, or objects of pity, we need you to see us for who we really are.
Along with the people we invite into our inner circles, who are equally deserving of this acknowledgment, we need to be seen as people. We need to be seen with dignity, respect, empathy, and appreciation. We need more people to recognize that we also have dreams, goals, passions, emotions, hopes, faith, families, careers, lives worth living, and everything else that comes with being human.
Everyone has the power to see another person in this beautiful light. Likewise, everyone deserves to be seen in this way. If you’re willing to try keeping your eyes, heart, and mind open to seeing people for who they truly are, you have what it takes to be an ally, and not just to the disability community. You’re ready to be an ally to anyone.
