Oftentimes, members of our community who have a disability are overlooked. Their differences are looked down upon, and their needs are misunderstood or ignored.
WHYY’s latest discussion in the Bridging Blocks series invited members of our community to talk about the unspoken issues that people with disabilities in our city deal with every day.
The discussion, which took place on Tuesday evening at the Free Library of Philadelphia, was titled “Invisible Barriers: How Ableism Affects Accessibility.” Philadelphians came together to discuss issues facing the disabled community, support one another and share resources.
The night started with the viewing of a TED Talk from Alycia Anderson, a motivational speaker, who was born with sacral agenesis, a rare congenital disorder in which the lower spine is underdeveloped. Anderson cannot walk and is in a wheelchair. In the talk she defines ableism.
“It’s a term where we favor one over somebody with a disability,” she said. “It’s when we look at somebody with a disability as if they need to be fixed to be whole. Or, we look at somebody with a disability and define them solely by their disability, and we miss the person altogether.”
There were Philadelphians in the room who had hearing impairments, vision impairments, learning disabilities and chronic illnesses. Some worked as advocates and leaders for organizations empowering the disabled community.
Discussion topics included issues ranging from public transportation and employment accommodations to new technologies.
Getting the accommodations you need
People with a disability can accomplish the same goals as anyone else, but they need accommodation.
Liora Moshman, who moved to Philadelphia for a job, has had issues finding employment due to her learning disability.
“People with learning disabilities, you know, it’s sort of like an invisible disability,” she said. “So I feel like I can pass, but I can only pass so far, and then my disability is revealed, and I can’t integrate with the normal working environment.”
The group shared resources that could help. Yvonne Hughes, a disability advocate with vision impairment, talked about the city’s ADA coordinators, who work to help ensure that disabled citizens have equal access to job opportunities.
“I want to change my slow processing from being an inhibitor to something that’s a really good asset,” Moshman said, “because we all need to slow down sometimes, especially in a world where we’re just constantly speeding up.”
Living in a city can bring its own set of challenges for people with disabilities. For example, just getting around from A to B in Philly may bring additional challenges.
Simon Healey, a Philadelphia native and Free Library employee, talked about the importance of SEPTA’s services for people like him who have a visual impairment.
He praised SEPTA’s services, saying that the bus drivers will give him a friendly “beep beep” when they see him. Unfortunately, impending cuts to the public transportation service have a greater impact for people like him who need them.
Alan Weintraub, who has multiple sclerosis, also relies on public transportation, rideshares and taxis to get around. However, he talked about how none of the options are perfect for him. The bus can be hard, because of how it jostles. He’s had issues getting taxis to pick him up, and can’t always afford Ubers and Lyfts, especially when prices surge. Even in a walkable city like Philly, getting around can be tough.
Weintraub relies on a cane that folds out into a chair, so that he can sit when necessary — a find that he’s found extremely helpful.
“I had something else like this before, but it was too heavy to carry around easily,” he said. “And this is lightweight, and it just works. What I did was I got a shower cap and another cushion and made it a little more comfortable for me, so I kind of MacGyvered it.”
Resources and solutions
People with physical differences or impairments often find themselves in the minority, but the group chatted about how answers to the solutions were in the room.
“I really realize we have a lot in common,” said Patrick Killigan, co-founder of Breakthrough: Deaf Advocacy Plus Independent Living. Killigan communicated in ASL and had an interpreter present. “The people that were sitting in this room, we were more the same than we were different. We need to be able to be more empowered.”
Building the tools to advocate for yourself was a big theme from the night. And doing so is easier with a community, especially for those with disabilities, whose day-to-day life may already require extra work.
“I think one of the biggest challenges with advocacy is that we need to get better with collaboration with other organizations and companies,” he said. “Sometimes I get very frustrated, I’ll be quite honest with you, and I really want to blow a gasket when I’m dealing with someone who just doesn’t get it.”
Standing up for yourself can be challenging, but it’s crucial, say advocates. If necessary support isn’t offered, it’s important to remember that there is help and it’s important to reach out to a representative.
Randy Duque, acting executive director from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, was present. The organization works to enforce local anti-discrimination laws in Philadelphia. They can help at no cost to help make sure that people are getting the accommodations they need.
Organizations like Liberty Resources, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Office of Disabilities, the Office of Long-Term Living and Temple TechOWL were also mentioned as valuable support networks and tools.
“Disability doesn’t define you,” Moshman said. “There are ways that you can try and navigate the world that you can create yourself. I heard someone say that, and I think it rings true to me, and it helps me move forward.”
If you’d like to attend the next Bridging Blocks talk on this topic, it will be held Tuesday, June 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Parkway Central Library.
