Riding at The Back of Societies The Bus, What does it mean to be disabled in America today?

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.".




People with disabilities now share Rosa Park’s seat at the back of the bus

It is no longer just Rosa Parks fighting for African American rights; now, the fight includes people like Justin Dart, Jr., the founder of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

It takes hubris to equate the struggles undertaken by the African American community in the early 60s with the challenges facing people with disabilities today. The disability rights movement is one of the last significant Civil Rights movement in America that has not gotten mainstream attention. While people with disabilities have the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is only a single piece of legislation. It by itself is only a Band-Aid and does not improve the lives of people with disabilities. It has been nearly thirty years since this ground-breaking piece of legislation, but has much really changed? It took more than one bus boycott for African Americans to see significant change. It is time for the Disability Rights movement to re-engage, re-energize, and mobilize itself to effect greater change for people with disabilities.

There are four critical areas in which the Disability Rights movement parallels the struggles of African Americans in the civil rights arena: The economy, the language used to describe the group, their social status within society, and in terms of political power.





It may be controversial to say that people with disabilities now share a literal seat in the back of the bus called American society.

First, it is crucial to address the economic standing of people with disabilities compared to their peers. Currently, if an individual has a severe disability that requires assistance with physical activities, they have to fall within two categories. A person either has to be extremely fortunate economically, making over $100,000 a year to pay for assistance. Or they have to remain at or below the poverty line, which in turn allows them to receive government assistance. For example, I have a Masters Degree in Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Theater as well as in History. I intended to pursue my teacher’s certification. However, I was denied the opportunity to teach and complete that portion of the program because of preconceived notions the school held regarding what I could. They did not allow me to prove them right or wrong. They just made a general assumption about me. Had I been allowed to prove myself, I would have been in a Catch 22 situation. A teacher does not make enough to support oneself financially when external limitations such as disability are involved. If the economic limitations are not clear, one can use the following example to drive home this point. Paul K. Longmore is a powerful disability advocate who has a Ph.D. in History (?? CONFIRM); however, he is limited due to his disability. Mr. Longmore completed his Ph.D. but was unable to receive royalties from his work due to the fact that he would have lost his much-needed benefits. In protest, he was inclined to burn all copies of his manuscript. I am in a similar situation. If someone like myself or Mr. Longmore is capable and has the proper education and skills to contribute to society, they should not be prevented from doing so for fear of losing their vital community supports. It is essential to underscore that under the current system, people with disabilities are forced to choose to remain low or hope for a giant lottery win to exist on equal ground in American society. The economic barriers are not the only barriers that push disabled people to the back of the bus.



If one can look past the economic barriers that people with disabilities face, they are confronted immediately with several others. For example, the language we use to describe disability or how we talk to people with disabilities, in general, can be patronizing. As a requirement of my Master’s program, I needed to take two classes on how to teach students with disabilities, except they did not use the word “disabilities.” I was required to take courses on how to teach students with “exceptionalities.” Exceptionalities is the latest whitewashed term to describe persons with disabilities. Exceptional is someone who breaks the 4-minute mile, not someone who brushed their teeth. I find it interesting that society has become so scared of disability that we use sanitized language to describe it.

Along with sanitized language, society also sanitizes disabilities in other ways. The late comedian Stella Young describes it perfectly when she coined the term “inspiration porn.” The term is defined as giving people with disabilities a gold star for everyday activities such as getting in and out of bed, putting shoes on, or even eating without messing. The disability community can be harshest by insisting on limiting language. For example, I make fun of myself all the time by calling myself T-Rex due to my hand contractures. Still, people within the disability community think nothing of criticizing me for the way I deal with my disability. The self-deprecating language I use does not dehumanize me; it degrades the disability's effect on my life outlook. Others can’t tell me how to describe my disability.

There may be those who scoff at my comparison between the Disability Rights Movement and African Americans' struggle. No one is arguing that many other groups haven’t had to struggle for equal footing. To a degree, circumstances have improved for these groups. My argument is that people with disabilities now share that seat at the back of the bus.

Another point worth mentioning is that persons with disabilities are one of sympathy, not citizenship. As we approach the end of 2019, a clear example of my point can be found in a recent story that I saw on Facebook. It is now such big news when a major cable network, CBS, signs a pledge to audition disabled actors to get positive press for it. Yes, it is a good thing, but my question is, “Why the hell is disability playing a role in one’s decision to hire an actor/actress.” The whole point of acting is to play challenging roles and explore what it means to be human. At what point will we realize that disability is not something to be shunned. Instead, it is just a part of the human condition.

In the US, who you know and who you associate with is crucial to social development, perhaps even more so when you are a disabled person. Social isolation is a difficulty. In school, a child’s social group tends to revolve around their classroom cliques. For a child who spent his or her school years removed from the “mainstream” classroom, their peer and social groups were limited to the other students in their special education classes. After high school, for those students who continued their education at colleges or universities, their peer and social groups are limited to those other students who choose to include them in social activities. Having a friendship with a lab partner does not always translate to invitations to parties. After school has ended, social groups tend to revolve around work colleagues and events. For a person with a disability without employment, this is the end of their social life. Other social relationships rarely develop other than those between the disabled person and their caregivers. Persons with disabilities end up unintentionally segregated due to society’s inability to look past differences. At what point will it be acceptable to “mix groups,” or will we forever be hidden away from view?

A final area that mirrors African Americans' plight can be found if one looks to the political arena. No one is arguing that African American’s opinions and rights haven’t been infringed upon. However, disabled people also have had their voting rights tampered with through a wide variety of methods, even though people with disabilities currently make up a large portion of the electorate. Their vote is sometimes dismissed through voter ID requirements and inaccessible polling places. Don’t believe me? If every person with a disability had voted in the 2016 presidential election, there would have been 2 million more votes cast. I am not saying that the results in the election would have changed, but I am saying that the candidates missed out on a huge opportunity to talk with an underrepresented segment of society. The disability vote can decide the 2020 election. That is if anybody pays attention to it. Thanks to groups like the American Association of People with Disabilities and their voter engagement program. Perhaps this is a sign of the long-awaited change that is beginning throughout society.



I do not expect this essay to change the hearts and minds of everyone overnight. My only intentions are to highlight the work that still needs to be done and start a conversation. Just because “We” have The Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities should not grow complacent, and America, as a whole, should strive for the better overall treatment of all of its fellow citizens. Sometimes, although this country is excellent, it settles for patting itself on the back for minimal effort rather than putting in the hard work needed to live up to the words on the Statue of Liberty.