My alt for DessertStorms@kbin.social

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  • 26 Comments
Joined 6 days ago
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Cake day: June 27th, 2024

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  • So clearly I don’t speak for all disabled people, and as you say, and as is with any group, the needs of disabled people are individual and can change depending on many factors, so I don’t know if I can really give a conclusive answer to that.

    You do touch on respect, and that’d probably be the top priority (and again, probably applies to interacting with all people) - we don’t need saviours, we need comrades. Respect the individual and their boundaries, they know themselves better than you do, and if they say no to something, trust that they know what’s best and back off without taking personal offence (and if helping is contingent on someone being nice and eternally grateful - don’t do it. Only help another person because you want to help them, not because you’re looking for praise and adoration. Not saying you’d do this op, but far too many do - like people who grab your wheelchair and push without asking or being asked and then get angry when you ask them to stop).

    I think other than that, the main almost universal one would be electricity. Even if someone doesn’t depend on it to power life sustaining machinery and/or aids (and many do), or seems like they immediately need electricity to survive, things like maintaining and controlling bodily temperature can be difficult or even impossible for some, so things like air conditioning, or heating pads (which are also vital for many for pain management), are essential (E: also, communication devices!). So having portable generators or other alternative sources of backup power in case of emergency can be a huge help.

    Beyond that, the only way you can know is to get to know the disabled people in you community, build relationships friendships and trust, listen to them and let them know you’re there to offer help and support if they need it. If they feel safe and comfortable, they will come to you when and if they need it.
















  • DessertStorms@lemmy.blahaj.zonetoMemes@lemmy.mlMood
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    5 days ago

    I’m glad you’re finding the info helpful and insightful.

    I think with regards to use of language, this is another good read (E: also the understanding-disability link I attached earlier will will probably help with the “why” behind thinking “disabled” is a slur). It might be coming at this from a slightly different angle, but I think the point still stands - “politeness”, “offence”, “political correctness” these are terms most often used by the privileged to police the speech of and control marginalised people (aka “respectability politics”), rather than the other way around, but I might be digressing a little at this point lol…