How Not to Run a Disability Campaign
May. 26th, 2015 07:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
davidgillonTEDx Sydney have responded to the furore over Stella's Challenge (see here) by saying that clearly it's too soon to use Stella's name, so they'll be relaunching the campaign with a new name.
Colour me unimpressed. The issue wasn't the use of her name, but the use of her name for a campaign which went against everything she ever stood for. It's unclear from this whether they have a clue what the issue is, and whether the relaunched campaign will have addressed the problem or not.
And just to illustrate the issues with the campaign, there's an interview on the main TED site with the people responsible (I've linked to the longer version at TEDx Sydney) about the work that went into creating Stella's Challenge, they manage to talk about the concept, research, and implementation of a major disability campaign without ever mentioning disabled people (or people with disabilities), the closest they get is talking about 'those who have had a personal connection to disability' (how, um, precious). One of the Australian activists commenting says the problem is that they only talked to organisations run for disabled people, not by disabled people, I'm not familiar enough with the Australian disability community to know if they're being literal or figurative, but it's pretty damned clear TEDx Sydney managed to launch a major disability campaign focused around a concept any disabled activist could have told them was so utterly dire it would make things worse, not better, so I'm tending towards literal. It's clear none of the people involved knew the first thing about disability, or, and this is the real tragedy, listened to one damn thing Stella said in her TEDx talk.
Colour me unimpressed. The issue wasn't the use of her name, but the use of her name for a campaign which went against everything she ever stood for. It's unclear from this whether they have a clue what the issue is, and whether the relaunched campaign will have addressed the problem or not.
And just to illustrate the issues with the campaign, there's an interview on the main TED site with the people responsible (I've linked to the longer version at TEDx Sydney) about the work that went into creating Stella's Challenge, they manage to talk about the concept, research, and implementation of a major disability campaign without ever mentioning disabled people (or people with disabilities), the closest they get is talking about 'those who have had a personal connection to disability' (how, um, precious). One of the Australian activists commenting says the problem is that they only talked to organisations run for disabled people, not by disabled people, I'm not familiar enough with the Australian disability community to know if they're being literal or figurative, but it's pretty damned clear TEDx Sydney managed to launch a major disability campaign focused around a concept any disabled activist could have told them was so utterly dire it would make things worse, not better, so I'm tending towards literal. It's clear none of the people involved knew the first thing about disability, or, and this is the real tragedy, listened to one damn thing Stella said in her TEDx talk.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 09:55 pm (UTC)I'm seeing "those with a personal connection to disability" more and more. I think it's trying to reframe family members as being on "their side, those poor dears." To be honest, of course, I do know some nondisabled family members who really, really get it. But I don't think mere proximity is enough, as evidence by the asseroles* at TedxSydney.
*Thanks to Ibby Grace, U.S. prof & autistic advocate, for this lovely coinage.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 10:38 pm (UTC)*headdesk*
Some of the UK activists have been talking about a 'union of disabled people' in the last few weeks. One of the things that has come up in discussion is trying to explain why we don't want carers/family/allies as full members (and therefore able to influence policy) - I used Autism Speaks as the example of family members who just don't get it and end up causing more problems than they solve. I wouldn't even count my own family among those who get it, though they're (mostly) supportive.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 10:43 pm (UTC)My partner of 35 years, MyGuy, has been through hell with me, and truly understands the issues. And yet he's not taken up opportunities to advocate and speak up in non-me contexts (his paid and committee work). I can understand why he didn't, but if I'd been there I'd have been making a stink.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-27 10:50 pm (UTC)I agree. That was one of the suggestions (I think they actually said 66%), but my suggestion was two classes of membership, and disabled people vote to set policy, while allies vote to advise on policy.