How to Be a Disability Activist

A disability rights protest at Princeton. Photo from ADACIL.

As advocates for people with disabilities, disability rights are very important to DAHLIA Living – and we bet they’re important to you too. Activism isn’t always easy under the best circumstances, but it can be especially inaccessible for people who aren’t experienced with activism or even people with disabilities themselves.
 
But that’s okay! There are still a lot of ways to get involved and do your part to advocate for disability rights.

Get active on social media

Use your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles to share credible articles, memes, or your own reasons for supporting disability rights. Social media is a great way to reach your friends or community members that might not know much about disability issues.

You can also share posts from disability activists if you’re unsure what to say – and it can amplify the voice of someone who might not otherwise be heard.

Share your own experience

If you’re comfortable, tell your friends, family, and community members about your personal experience as a person with a disability or as non-disabled ally. Express your concerns and connect them to larger disability issues.

Think of disability rights when you vote

Your ballot can make a difference. Research candidate stances on disability issues and pay attention to the effects of proposed measures on the lives of people with disabilities. Keeping these things in mind will help guide government policies going forward.

These aren’t the only ways to be an activist, but they will get you started! For more ideas, check out these links:
Forbes: 5 Simple Ways to Support Disability Activism
Disability Rights WA
New York Times: American Disability Act History