What Is Disability Justice
During the 2020-2021 school year, CODE worked to implement the principles of disability justice into our new leadership structure. Our Commission has shifted away from treating disability as a single-issue concern, and towards a vision where we hope to engage in cross-movement solidarity in our community-building and self-advocacy efforts.
Learn more from Sophias discussion of the 10 principles of Disability Justice by Sins Invalid:
Read the full transcript here
A Disability Justice framework understands that all bodies are unique and essential, that all bodies have strengths and needs that must be met.
Patty Berne
In 2005, disabled activists of color Patty Berne, Mia Mingus, and Stacey Milbern launched the framework of disability justice. They did this to expand upon the disability rights movement, which established civil rights for people with disabilities.
While the disability rights movement did have many successes in advancing a philosophy of independent living and opening possibilities for people with disabilities, by only considering ableism as a single issue, the lives of sick and disabled people of color were invisibilized. This means that the voices, perspectives, and contributions of SDQTPOC were often erased.
So, while some people in the disability community can achieve rights and access through a legal or rights-based framework, this privilege is not always available to all members of the disability community, specifically SDQTPOC.
What Does Disability Justice Mean
Disability Justice centers intersectionality and the ways diverse systems of oppression amplify and reinforce one another.
The term disability justice is often used interchangeably with terms such as disability rights and disability inclusion. Yet its important to recognize that disability justice refers to a very specific framework of thinking about disability.
Disability inclusion is a broad term to describe approaches to advance access and inclusion for disabled people. A disability justice approach centers the priorities and approaches of those most historically excluded groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
About Our Writer For The Disability Justice Series Rosemary Mcdonnell
Rosemary McDonnell-Horita is a fierce, determined disability advocate and educator. She is a queer, disabled, Japanese American woman raised in Southern California. Rosemary is constantly re-imagining the world around her to include disabled youth, queer/trans communities, and prioritizing the voices of youth of color. After attending the California Youth Leadership Forum in 2010, she went on to continue her leadership on many different levels, including in Washington DC. Currently, Rosemary is the Impact Officer of Programs for Netflixs, Crip Camp Impact Campaign. The teams goals are to promote understanding of disability as a social justice issue and build relationships across lines of difference. The campaign has provided a model for cross-disability solidarity and intersectional movement building that centers disabled BIPOC voices and experiences. She strongly believes in honoring those who came before her, and leading the way for future generations to continue to lead and make change in this world.
Headshot image description: Photo of Rosemary, a Japanese American light-skinned woman with wavy shoulder length brown hair smiling at the camera. She is seated in her wheelchair, wearing a black and white patterned top and seated in front of a mosaic tiled wall.
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Disability Justice And Interdependence
Writer, educator and community organizer for disability justice Mia Mingus explains: With disability justice, we want to move away from the myth of independence, that everyone can and should be able to do everything on their own. I am not fighting for independence, as much of the disability rights movement rallies behind. I am fighting for an interdependence that embraces need and tells the truth: no one does it on their own and the myth of independence is just that, a myth.
Ten Principles Of Disability Justice
Read Ten Principles of Disability Justice by Patricia Berne, Aurora Levins Morales, David Langstaff, Sins InvalidChoose one principle that you feel the most excited about and explain to us why you think its important Name one reason why disability justice is important to racial justice The Second one: Listen to the first episode of the 1619 podcast t Post a response, noting at least two important things you are going to take away from this podcast. Did you learn anything? Did it change your perception of black identity and history? Or affirm what you already knew to be true? Did it deepen your commitment to anti-blackness?
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I: Understanding Language And Power
DESCRIPTION:Understanding the power mechanisms behind language and oppression are essential to understanding a disability justice framework. Part I of the Disability Justice workshop series provides a foundation for understanding disability as a social justice issue by exploring access needs, language, and the many insidious forms of ableism and the ways they tie into other forms of oppression.
Ii: Our History: Where We Come From How We Got Here Where Were Going
DESCRIPTION:Disabled people have existed forever. Part II of the Disability Justice workshop series explores common models of understanding disability and analyzes how oppressive historical movements have impacted the legacy of the disability community leading up to the disability rights movement. The workshop will also outline the struggle of passing disability-centered legislation in the US, the role of the Independent Living movement in building local disability communities, and the concept of disability pride.
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Association Of College & Research Libraries Frame & Knowledge Practices: Information Has Value
Knowledge Practices- Understand how and why some individuals or groups of individuals may be underrepresented or systematically marginalized within the systems that produce and disseminate information.- Experts also understand that value may be wielded by powerful interests that marginalize certain voices.
Reflection On The Ten Principles Of Disability Justice
Out of all the pieces we read this past week about disability identity and justice, the one which resonated the most with me was Sins Invalid’s Ten Principles of Disability Justice, and in particular the ideas of sustainability and interdependence. Throughout my life, I have been exposed to disability in the unfortunately standard way in the US: if you are disabled, you either “fix yourself” so as to become independent and productive in society, or become a burden to your family, social services, etc. if you are unable to do so. I became very detached from that label and community of disability, being conditioned to see it as only inclusive of that supposed latter group who “could not fix themselves” and became something a little less than human in the eyes of society. Thankfully I’ve spent enough time now learning about disability to be able to reject that image of disability, though it is always an ongoing process of unworking conditioned stereotypes and bias.
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Principles Of Disability Justice
INTERSECTIONALITY We do not live single issue lives Audre Lorde. Ableism, coupled with white supremacy, supported by capitalism, underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world invalid.
LEADERSHIP OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED We are led by those who most know these systems. Aurora Levins Morales
ANTI-CAPITALIST POLITIC In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit, we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds.
COMMITMENT TO CROSS-MOVEMENT ORGANIZING Shifting how social justice movements understand disability and contextualize ableism, disability justice lends itself to politics of alliance.
RECOGNIZING WHOLENESS People have inherent worth outside of commodity relations and capitalist notions of productivity. Each person is full of history and life experience.
SUSTAINABILITY We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long term. Our embodied experiences guide us toward ongoing justice and liberation.
COMMITMENT TO CROSS-DISABILITY SOLIDARITY We honor the insights and participation of all of our community members, knowing that isolation undermines collective liberation.
INTERDEPENDENCE We meet each others needs as we build toward liberation, knowing that state solutions inevitably extend into further control over lives.
COLLECTIVE LIBERATION No body or mind can be left behind only mobbing together can we accomplish the revolution we require.
Disability Justice Is An Lgbtq Issue
What is Disability Justice?
According to Sins Invalid, a disability justice performance project that centers people of color, queers, nonbinary and trans people with disabilities, a disability justice framework understands that: 1) All bodies are unique and essential. 2) All bodies have strengths and needs that must be met. 3) We are powerful, not despite the complexities of our bodies, but because of them. 4) All bodies are confined by ability, race, gender, sexuality, class, nation state, religion, and more, and we cannot separate them. Disability justice centers the leadership of those most impacted to confront casual, structural, and systemic ableism in all spaces. Disability justice uses an intersectional lens, recognizes physical, intellectual, and neurodivergent disabilities and access needs, and envisions a world that is accessible to and inclusive of all bodies and minds.
*A note on language:
The language used by and about people with disabilities is quickly evolving. In some spaces and when referring to some disabilities or neurodivergences, identity-first language is preferred over people-first language. In other spaces, people-first language is preferred over identity-first language. In this document, we use people-first language to refer to the broader work of disability justice. When working on specific issues or policy statements related to disability justice, we will defer to those with lived experiences to guide our language.
What We Believe
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The 10 Principles Of Disability Justice
This page gives an overview of the 10 Principles of Disability Justice. This framework was developed by Sins Invalid, a disability justice-based performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color and LGBTQ / gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized. The following image was found on their Curriculum webpage, linked here:
Click the following link to view a PDF breakdown of each of the 10 Principles of Disability Justice,
These Principles can also be found in the SKIN, TOOTH, AND BONE: The Basis of Movement is Our People Disability Justice Primer, available for purchase here:
Disability Justice Part 2
Course Description
This is part two of a two part series. Part one is two sessions and part two is two sessions. Each session is 4 CEs. This course is co-taught with Sins Invalid and / or Cory Silverberg. It is advised to take part one prior to part two as part two begins where part one ends.
Disability Justice is a phrase and framework essential for all of us! The first part of this course offered an overview of the principles and tenants that create Disability Justice. There is an urgency to elevate the work we are doing and allow ourselves to be guided by a fuller understanding of bodymind. In this second part of Disability Justice we will dive deeper into examining each of the 10 principles and discussing ways to implement them into our work and everyday lives.
Learning Outcome: By the end of this session participants will:
- List how ableism is rooted in white supremacy and Eugenics
- Examine and discuss the principles of Disability Justice
- Create a plan to implement principles of Disability Justice into work
- Implement the plan created based on Disability Justice principles into personal lives
Essential Questions:
- How do I implement principles of Disability Justice into my work?
- How do I implement principles of Disability Justice into my personal life?
AASECT Core Knowledge Areas:
- H. Health/medical factors that may influence sexuality
- N. Learning theory and its application
- Q. Principles of sexuality research and research methods
AASECT Sexuality Educator Training
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Ten Principles Of Disability Justice As Documented By Sins Justice
Back in 2015, disability justice based project Sins Justice celebrated artists of disabilities, people of colour and those of the LGBTQ+ communities to challenge the paradigms around What is normal?
Sins Justice came up with these ten principles how you can campaign and align your values with those of the disability justice movement.
They provide themselves of being disruptive agitators to evoke positive change in their communities.
Below is a list of these commandments:
1. Intersectionality
We do not live single issue lives Audre Lorde. Ableism, coupled withwhite supremacy, supported by capitalism, underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world invalid.
2. Leadership of the most impacted
We are led by those who most know these systems. Aurora Levins Morales
3. Anti-capitalist politic
In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit,we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds.
4. Cross-movement organisation
Shifting how social justice movements understand disability and contextualize ableism, disability justice lends itself to politics of alliance.
5. Wholeness
People have inherent worth outside of commodity relations and capitalist notions of productivity. Each person is full of history and life experience.
6. Sustainability
We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long term. Our embodied experiences guide us toward ongoing justice and liberation.
The Origin Of Disability Justice
As explained by Patty Berne, the Co-Founder, Executive and Artistic Director of Sins Invalid and one of the people whose work and words informed the conceptualization of disability justice, the framework was a reaction to the ways that the US disability rights movement invisibilized the lives of peoples who lived at intersecting junctures of oppression disabled people of color, immigrants with disabilities, queers with disabilities, trans and gender non-conforming people with disabilities, people with disabilities who are houseless, people with disabilities who are incarcerated, people with disabilities who have had their ancestral lands stolen, amongst others.
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For More Information About Disability Justice Including The 10 Principles And Much More Check Out Skin Tooth And Bone: The Basis Of Movement Is Our People A Disability Justice Primer You Can Get It As A Hard Copy Book A Pdf With Full Layout Or A Text
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10 PRINCIPLES OF DISABILITY JUSTICE
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INTERSECTIONALITY We do not live single issue lives Audre Lorde. Ableism, coupled with white supremacy, supported by capitalism, underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world invalid.
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LEADERSHIP OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED We are led by those who most know these systems. Aurora Levins Morales
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ANTI-CAPITALIST POLITIC In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit, we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds.
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COMMITMENT TO CROSS-MOVEMENT ORGANIZING Shifting how social justice movements understand
Collective Access And Liberation
No body or mind can be left behind only by moving together can we accomplish the revolution we require. We move together as people with mixed abilities, multiracial, multi-gendered, mixed class, across the sexual spectrum, with a vision that leaves no bodymind behind.
Our Commissions website compiles both basic needs resources and accessibility guides for students in the disability community and allies to reference. For more information, see our Resources page.
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Iii: Disability Justice In Theory And Practice
DESCRIPTION:Disability justice transcends beyond the disability community. Part III of the Disability Justice workshop series will scrutinize the missing elements from the disability rights movement, dig into the ten principles of disability justice, and analyze case studies of contemporary disability justice-centered organizations and projects, providing insight into what disability justice looks like in practice, both within and apart from the disability community itself.
- SAIC Disability Justice Training Series By LaVant Consulting
- 36 S. Wabash Ave.
Moving Forward With Disability Justice
When we focus on the principles of Disability Justice, we prioritize the connections between ableism and other systems of oppression. Disability Justice recognizes that disability is not monolithic ableism looks different for people with various disabilities as well as people of different races, classes, and genders. Thus, Disability Justice is the most potent and effective way to secure the liberation of disabled and multiply marginalized people.Catch up on our latest blog posts here!
Hailey Hudson is a Freelance Writer for WID.
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The Arc Minnesota Plain Language Disability Justice Principles
The disability justice collective, Sins Invalid, made principles that guide their work. Staff and self-advocate leaders with The Arc Minnesota made plain language definitions, to help more people understand how this fits with what we do.
Below, we list the ten principles of disability justice along with their Sins Invalid and plain language definitions.
Advancing Disability Justice Grants
We award grants of up to $5,000 each or up to $10,000 each to disabled community leaders, community groups, organizations or coalitions for community building, civic engagement, community organizing, cultural work, leadership development, movement building or policy advocacy. We also offer Advancing Disability Justice Grant recipients specialized coaching from disability justice experts.
Applications for 2022 Advancing Disability Justice Grants are closed. We will announce recipients soon.
Read more about Northwest Health Foundation’s journey to understand and incorporate a disability equity lens in our work.
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Disability Justice And Other Justice Movements
Disability justice connects with all other key movements for justice and liberation from oppression. For example, Standing Up for Racial Justice, a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice, shares: We want to create a movement for racial justice that not only pushes back against disability stereotypes of tragedy, inspiration or irresponsible burden but that also fiercely resists the powerful undercurrents about the feebleminded, the illiterate or accented people of our lives. These ideas, birthed in ableism, grease the cogs of white supremacy and perpetuate white privilege.
Defining Disability Justice An Expectation Of Difference
As set forth by Naomi Ortiz, a writer, poet, facilitator and visual artist whose work focuses on self-care for activists, Disability Justice is the cross-disability framework that values access, self-determination and an expectation of difference. An expectation of difference means that we expect difference in disability, identity and culture. To be included and part of society is about being able to be our whole self . Disability Justice includes space for self-care, reflection and hard discussions.
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