Disability Pride Month

As we move through August, it’s important to carry forward the spirit of Disability Pride Month, which we celebrated in July, with a lens of intersectionality. The world continues to go through mass disabling events with COVID-19 and violence all around the globe. Disability Pride recognizes how disability intersects with other marginalized groups such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, and calls for urgency in amplifying the voices of disabled people at their intersections for the benefit of all in both physical and digital spaces.

History of Disability Pride Month

Photo courtesy of Reddit

Disability Pride Month, observed in July and largely observed worldwide, is a relatively new but significant observance in the realm of civil rights and social justice. Its origin is mainly traced back to the introduction of the pivotal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States on July 26, 1990, which extended protections to disabled people beyond only federal employees. Disability Pride Month has a dual role as both a celebration, and a protest against systemic ableism, bringing to light the ongoing violence and discrimination faced by disabled individuals, especially in intersectional marginalized communities. In fact, the muted black background of the Disability Pride flag represents “mourning and rage for the victims of ableist violence and abuse” according to its creator, Ann Magill¹.

Intersectionality at the Center of Disability Pride

“Intersectionality is a metaphor for understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage sometimes compound themselves and create obstacles that often are not understood among conventional ways of thinking.”²

Kimberlé Crenshaw, 1989

Intersectionality is crucial when talking about the Disabled community as it highlights how various forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) intersect and compound for individuals with disabilities. Disability is also the one identity that intersects with every other human demographic. The concept of intersectionality is attributed to Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black civil rights scholar, feminist, activist, and professor of Law at Columbia University and the UCLA. She also launched the “#SayHerName” campaign, and co-authored “Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected”².

Example: A Disabled Queer Woman of Color in the Workforce

Consider the case of Maria, a Latina trans woman who is also a lesbian with a physical disability. Maria faces multiple layers of discrimination that intersect and compound, affecting her daily life and career opportunities.

1. Racism: As a Latina, Maria experiences racial discrimination in hiring practices, workplace culture, and career advancement due to unconscious bias. For example, she statistically is overlooked for promotions and faces microaggressions from colleagues who hold prejudiced views about her ethnicity, including the way she talks, her values and interactions with others that wouldn’t be considered for her white peers.
2. Sexism: As a woman, Maria encounters gender-based discrimination. This could manifest in lower pay compared to her male counterparts, fewer leadership opportunities, and biased expectations about her capabilities and commitment to her career.
3. Ableism: As a disabled person, Maria faces ableism in various forms. She may encounter physical barriers in the workplace, such as inaccessible office spaces, or more commonly in tech, digital barriers, such as software that is not compatible with her assistive devices or lack of flexibility in how to interact with her coworkers (i.e., in person, online, with transcripts) and deliver her work. Additionally, she might deal with stigmatizing attitudes from employers and colleagues who underestimate her abilities, refuse to offer appropriate accommodations or make unfounded assumptions about her productivity.
4. Classism: If Maria comes from a lower socioeconomic background, she might have had fewer educational opportunities and less access to resources that could help her advance her career. She would have to dedicate a lot of emotional labor and finances to accommodate her disability and gender-affirming care. This economic disadvantage can further limit her job prospects and exacerbate the challenges she faces in the workforce.
5. Transphobia: As a transgender woman, Maria faces discrimination and prejudice based on her gender identity. This can include being misgendered, facing invasive questions about her transition, or encountering bias in hiring and promotion decisions.
6. Homophobia: As a lesbian, Maria may also experience discrimination based on her sexual orientation. This can manifest in a lack of recognition for her relationships, exclusion from social activities, or derogatory comments and attitudes from colleagues which could relate to her gender identity as well.

Maria’s experience is not just the sum of these individual forms of discrimination; rather, they intersect in unique ways that create additional challenges. She faces bias based on her ethnicity, gender, disability gender identity, and sexual orientation simultaneously. The whole point of discussion on intersectionality is that there are hidden interactions between these identities that are not obvious to those that do not share those identities. In the workplace, Maria might struggle to find allies who understand the full scope of her identity. Her colleagues often will not recognize the intersectional nature of her challenges, leading to a lack of support and advocacy in every day activities and from a top level down. Discrimination also happens at a societal scale so large that is purposefully difficult to pinpoint at an individual standpoint. For example, the COVID-19 mass disabling pandemic saw one of the worst exoduses of women from the workforce, highlighting the persistent patriarchal expectation that women take on the role of primary caregivers³. It also exacerbated domestic violence and other forms of violence against women and girls, especially those with intersecting marginalized identities⁴.

Ableism Shows Up in Digital Spaces too

We often think about physical and interpersonal barriers when thinking about poor accommodations for disabled people, but experiences in the workforce are mirrored in the digital world as well, where inaccessible design and exclusionary practices mount the barriers faced by individuals with intersecting identities.

1. Inaccessible Websites: Websites that do not adhere to accessibility standards exclude people with disabilities. For example, a job application site that is not navigable by keyboard or screen reader can prevent someone from even applying for a job, let alone being considered for a position.
2. Non-Inclusive Content: Digital content that lacks diversity and representation are not accommodating to users who do not see themselves reflected. This could mean encountering web content that does not acknowledge or respect someone’s full identity, such as failing to provide multi-options for gender and/or using ableist language and practices.
3. Bias in Algorithms: Algorithms used in digital platforms can perpetuate biases. For instance, automated hiring systems might screen out candidates based on gaps in employment history without considering the context of disability, or fail to recognize the value of diverse experiences.
4. Lack of Intersectional Design: Digital products often fail to consider the intersectional needs of users. For example, a telehealth platform might be accessible to individuals with disabilities but not offer language support for non-English speakers, thereby excluding Maria if she prefers to communicate in Spanish.

Addressing Ableism in Digital Spaces

Remember, prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity in design leads to outcomes that enhance usability for everyone, and not doing so is simply bad design. Accessibility is not just a feature; it is a fundamental aspect of good design that ensures everyone can use and benefit from the product. To combat intersectional ableism within software, companies should adopt a holistic approach that considers the most vulnerable groups first throughout the software development life cycle. This means embedding accessibility and inclusivity at every stage, from initial concept to final implementation and beyond.

“Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space, a better space for everyone.”

George Dei, renowned professor and researcher on anti-racism, inclusive education, and intersectionality

• Inclusive Design is Good Design: Design experiences that consider the needs of users at various points of intersectionality from the outset. This involves understanding the unique challenges faced by different user groups and creating solutions that address these needs comprehensively.
• Diverse Representation: Ensure that digital content and platforms reflect the diversity of the user base, and hire with diversity & inclusion in mind. A diverse team brings a variety of perspectives and experiences, which is crucial for creating inclusive products.
• Bias Mitigation in Algorithms: Develop and test algorithms with a focus on minimizing bias. This involves using diverse data sets, conducting regular audits to evaluate any exclusions, and involving diverse stakeholders in the development process. Addressing biases in algorithms helps prevent the perpetuation of systemic inequalities.
• Continuous Accessibility and User-Centric Testing: Build reliability in your end-to-end flow by testing as close to your most vulnerable users as possible to ensure confidence for all. This entails using assistive devices such as screen readers, and engaging third-party vendors to conduct comprehensive accessibility audits. Regularly updating and refining your approach based on feedback and new insights is key to maintaining high standards of accessibility.

By adopting these principles, companies can create digital environments that are not only accessible but also equitable and inclusive for all users. This commitment to accessibility and inclusivity is not just about compliance; it’s about creating better, more usable products that serve the needs of a diverse user base. It’s about recognizing that everyone benefits when we design with the most vulnerable in mind, and that true innovation comes from inclusivity.

At Assistiv Labs, we are dedicated to helping companies achieve these goals by providing tools and services that facilitate continuous accessibility and user-centric testing. Our platforms allow you to test your digital products with real assistive technologies while removing the cognitive overload from developers to set them up, ensuring that you are meeting the needs of all users. By partnering with us, you’ll have the tools to make your products accessible, inclusive, and designed for everyone.

Conclusion

Image Credit: This is an original remix of #the4thBox Equality/Equity/Liberation image, a collaboration between Center for Story-based Strategy & Interaction Institute for Social Change

As we reflect on the conclusion of Disability Pride Month, it is the responsibility of each of us to recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination and actively work to dismantle all systems that perpetuate exclusion, ableism and marginalization.

It involves recognizing and valuing the diverse experiences and contributions of disabled individuals, particularly those from historically oppressed communities, which encompasses most of humanity. The age of technology allows us to improve upon these challenges, and inaccessible design and exclusionary practices in digital spaces significantly hinders the participation and inclusion of disabled individuals and other marginalized groups.

By prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity in both physical and digital design, we create solutions that benefit everyone. When a company is not inclusive, it is important to call it out not as an inability, but as a conscious choice to exclude by those that lead it. Design with the needs of the most vulnerable users in mind from the outset, ensure diverse representation, mitigate biases in algorithms and adopt continuous accessibility to improve digital products to meet the highest standards of inclusivity.

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The following are additional articles that celebrate people living at the intersection of Disability and other identities:

• AAPI Month + Disability
• Women’s History Month + Disability
• Black History Month + Disability

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Sources:

1. The Disability Pride Flag by Ann Magill - Reddit
2. Kimberlé Crenshaw - Columbia Law School
3. LMI Insight Report No. 39 - Labour Market Information Council
4. Violence Against Women During COVID-19 - UN Women