Fondation Ipsen ’s Post

Real access is a big part of equity.

Ableism looks like inspiration porn, and making heart grabbing moments, intended to make the typical audience feel good about policies they make to “include” people, that Infact do the opposite. If you don’t know what inspiration porn is, here ya go: Inspiration porn" is a term used to describe the objectification or exploitation of people with disabilities for the purpose of inspiring or motivating able-bodied individuals. It refers to the tendency in media and society to overly focus on stories or images of individuals with disabilities overcoming their challenges, often portraying them as "heroes" or "inspirational" solely because of their disability. This term suggests that such portrayals can be dehumanizing and patronizing, as they reduce individuals with disabilities to mere sources of motivation for others. It can also reinforce stereotypes and create unrealistic expectations for people with disabilities, implying that they must constantly overcome obstacles to be valued or respected. Critics argue that instead of treating individuals with disabilities as equals and recognizing their diverse experiences and abilities, inspiration porn perpetuates ableism and objectification. I’m #actuallyautistic and find these moments to be more triggering than the actual system I have to navigate that isn’t inclusive!

What are you doing to change the systems you work, volunteer and participate in? Let's encourage each other that we're not the only people fighting for change. Staying connected with others is crucial to our general health and wellbeing. Feeling isolated or hopeless can contribute to depression and other mental illnesses, which can ultimately result in suicide. Regular, meaningful conversations can protect those we know and love. Staying connected is crucial not just to our individual health and wellbeing, but that of our movements and communities. Many activists struggle with feelings of isolation and hopelessness – even when surrounded by others. The reminder to check in with each other is a great initiative for suicide prevention, but it can also be a useful reminder in terms of activist burnout and the emotional health of groups.

Just went to the center of my soul. What are you doing to hold the system accountable? Your own practices? Do you enable subtitles for the Zoom meetings you host? Is it a company policy that all individuals must have subtitles enabled for all meetings they host as a company employee through virtual meetings? Do you highlight the option to turn closed captioning on at the beginning of your meeting or share instructions on how people can do that?

Ableism, often invisible to some, is a daily reality for disabled individuals. Here's what it looks like from our perspective: Inaccessible Spaces: When public places lack ramps, elevators, or proper accommodations, it sends a message that we don't belong. #AccessForAll Pity & Inspiration Tropes: Assuming we're inspirational solely because of our disabilities can be demeaning. We're more than our challenges. #BeyondInspiration Assumptions & Stereotypes: Being judged or underestimated based on stereotypes about disabilities can limit our opportunities. #SeeThePersonNotTheDisability Exclusion: Feeling left out of social events or activities because they aren't adapted for us can be isolating. #IncludeUs Insensitive Language: Words matter. Using derogatory terms or treating disabilities as jokes is hurtful and perpetuates ableism. #RespectfulLanguage Lack of Representation: Seeing little to no disabled characters in media or leadership roles reinforces the idea that we're not part of society. #RepresentationMatters Medicalisation: Reducing our identities solely to our medical conditions disregards our humanity and diverse experiences. #MoreThanACondition Microaggressions: Constant subtle comments or actions highlighting our differences can be emotionally exhausting. #EverydayAbleism Unsolicited "Help": While assistance can be appreciated, assuming we need help without asking can be disempowering. #AskFirst Systemic Barriers: Inaccessible policies and practices can make it difficult to access education, employment, and healthcare. #EqualOpportunity Let's work together to dismantle these barriers and create a world where disabled individuals are embraced for their abilities, contributions, and unique perspectives. #DisabilityAwareness #InclusionForAll

You have to fix the system AND the mindset of the people responsible for the systems.

what impact does societal values have on ableism?

I feel very inclined to speak on this. People never tell you (haha esp. medical personnel) just how difficult and exhausting it is going to when you’re disabled and young. Having to navigate getting into a job market that only cares about disposable bodies being able to get the work done no matter at whose expense. I was dx with lupus at 22 years old, struggled with the decision that I had to stop working in lorded to start dialysis immediately because my kidneys were no longer functioning by 23 and eventually (due to my partner and mother begging me) I stopped working. I was at one point doing dialysis, working and going to school FT. I felt if I didn’t do this I wouldn’t be able to get back into the job market (I mean hey my “career” was just starting). That fear alone killed me interally. Here I am now 30 after being taken off of SS, Medicare and my fears have become basically my reality. The gap in my resume is NOT looked at with empathy nor lightly. Yes I did some odd jobs in between, and I always had Instacart in case I wanted to work. Overall though, I couldn’t work even if I wanted to, my body was so weak. Dialysis drains you in unimaginable ways I can’t even begin to explain. *sighs heavily* maybe LinkedIn wasn’t the place for this rant, but I felt it needed to be spoken on.. so I hope more and more hiring professionals, recruiters, everybody in this realm of the job market can realize we exists too and want to work. We’re just a bit different too and that’s okay, but we can still get the job done ✅

How about dismantling ableist systems and being inclusive to ALL?

Ever since my youth I've been super curious and incredibly fascinated by People, and the jobs/careers we choose to do and take on -and then- what makes someone appear incompetent or 'weak/too vulnerable' and what makes a Person become seen as skilled, capable, strong, hireable, promotable, and successful, accomplished, and/or worthy/meritorious. Unfortunately the answer is often 'The System' —which is set up for survival of the fittest and this is plain wrong. We must stop relegating workers/colleagues into the margins and look, feel, see, and experience each other as diverse and differentiated, each with our own unique capacity and capability to build the lives we wish to have and fulfill the dreams we are certainly able to know -this requires an entire revolution for transforming human potential and it needs our collaborative realization that immersive inclusion is in the complete participation of enlisting everyone in the developmental activities and disciplines to actualize the survival of the entire human species. Throughout my life I've been called 'so nice' and basically recognized for putting myself 'out there' and for being the voice of the People. I've never been called an inspiration -and that's okay because I'm inspired by me and Others every single day. As we do the excessively difficult work to innovate -which is to change the course of industry, society, government, and the world while supporting not only the fulsome development of all Persons but of all Human Beings as a species. Reading/learning from Bessel van der Kolk, MD is a great way to support and succour one's self and those around you in the workplace who are enabled by noble acts of change. Here's a quote to reflect on from: https://lnkd.in/e5ByBEdi "His thesis centres on trauma: the urgent work of the brain after a traumatic event is to suppress it, through forgetting or self-blame, to avoid being ostracised. But the body does not forget; physiological changes result, a “recalibration of the brain’s alarm system, an increase in stress hormones, an alteration in the system that filters relevant information from irrelevant”, as he says in his book. The stress is stored in the muscles and does not dissipate. This has profound ramifications for talking therapies and their limits: the rational mind cannot do the repair work on its own, since that part of you is pretending it has already been repaired." All I can advise for Persons with (dis)abilities, and our allies, is to remain loving and compassionate with yourself, find new and simple ways to feel gratitude, care, love, and kindness for yourself, your chosen work, the Life you build and grow, and for every member of your close good circle of family, friends, and community —and then rinse and repeat to keep going.