Accessibility Guide

Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair — a fact that doesn't, she'd like to make clear, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to all humanity. In this very funny talk, Young breaks down society's habit of turning disabled people into "inspiration porn."

General Tips to Avoid Ableism

• Do not ask "What happened?" to a person with a disability. It is inappropriate to question their disability.
• Do not touch someone's wheelchair, cane, support animal, etc., without their permission.
• Do not assume labels. Ask how the person with the disability would like to be addressed.
• Do not assume someone's intellectual capacity based on their appearance or their physical capabilities.
• If you have any questions, directly ask the person with a disability rather than their caregiver.
• Do your research on a person's specific disability and listen to that person so that you do not assume anything about their disability.
• Try not to compare chronic or long-term disabilities to temporary or short-term injuries or illnesses. 
• If you see someone in a wheelchair waiting for an elevator at the same time as you, let the person in the wheelchair take the elevator and use the stairs instead.
• Use standard-sized bathroom stalls just in case someone with a disability needs to use a handicapped stall.
• Do not assume that the person with the disability wishes to be able-bodied. Comments such as "if you could cure yourself" and "if you were normal" are extremely disrespectful to someone with a disability and should be avoided.
• Do not tell someone with a disability that they are "an inspiration." This is often interpreted as if their way of life is so unbearable that you would not be able to cope if the roles were reversed.
• Avoid misguided comments such as "I wish I had a wheelchair!" Statements like this label the disabled experience as a luxury.
• Do not discriminate against a person with a disability for speaking about their diagnosis and/or challenges. Also, don't accuse them of wanting attention or trying to manipulate others.
• Do not blame the person with a disability for anything that happens to them, what they are able or unable to do, being "high-maintenance," etc. 
• Continue to include people with disabilities in your social plans. Try your best to accommodate them so they are able to join in.
• When planning an event, make sure it is accessible. For more information, click on the "Accessible Events" tab on the left-hand side of this page. For information specifically on ECU events, click on the "Accessibility at ECU" tab.
• Remember that people with disabilities are people first. Circumstances do not define a person.

More Information about Ableism

• 10 Ways to Avoid Everyday Ableism
• 25 Examples of Ableism to Avoid as an Ally to People With Disabilities