When Friends Share Disability Conspiracy Theories

By Heather Watkins
ID-100267749

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

On a less than sunny Saturday spent strolling the aisles of a local pharmacy, I return home, get in observance mode and begin scrolling social media pages when low and behold my brows furrow and lips purse. My clenching and displeasure credited to non-disabled friends sharing bullshat conspiracy theories on how disabilities are acquired, stoking the flames of fear…and intensifying my frown lines.

In the disability community pushing these kind of false narratives and discrimination whether online or in-person is known as ableism and is actually quite dangerous contributing to things such as stigma, treatment disparities, misconceptions, harmful policies, and negative worldviews along the lines of “better off dead than disabled.”

Disability manifests differently in different bodies, comparing bodies using ocular proof is inconclusive, not convincing, and downright silly since each person has a unique genetic makeup and health/wellness considers determining factors including but not limited to nutrition, sleep, hormones, stress level, access to affordable/proper healthcare etc. which would impact *any* body and may present with *emphasis* in a disabled body. Also, depends on whether disability is present at birth, resulted from accident, illness or age-related.

If you are viewing disability through the lens of limitation with laser focus on what folks *cannot* do then perhaps you should widen the lens to the comprehensive view beyond diagnosis to identity-marker past indictment..and also psst…past “overcoming” to encompassing.

Disability is so much more than the burden you perceive it to be. It bears repeating and sharing unlike those pesky conspiracy theories.

 

 [headline image: White outlined wheelchair symbol on a blue keyboard button under a magnifying glass]

10 thoughts on “When Friends Share Disability Conspiracy Theories”

  1. It bothers me when I see or hear of people claiming about people who don’t “look” disabled park in accessible parking spots by saying things like, “They walk fine!” or “They should save the space for someone who really needs it!” Disability is more than a wheelchair, walker, crutch or cane. How do they know who truly needs or doesn’t need an accessible parking space? Who made them the disability police?

    If there is a valid accessible parking permit displayed on the vehicle, I never make assumptions about whether or not a person needs a space. Perhaps they have a cardiac disability which limits the distance they can walk. Maybe they have a disability which causes intermittent difficulties or good days and bad days. As you say, disability is so much more than the burden it is perceived to be.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. The worst conspiracy I’ve heard of is people force feeding their children chlorine dioxide enemas to cure the non existent intestinal parasites that they claim cause Autism. Chlorine Dioxide is what they use to bleach wood pulp when making paper and has no use inside the human body. There have been campaigns to outlaw selling chlorine dioxide as a medical treatment but every time they pass a law against it these charlatans find a way around it. Taking advantage of naive parents like that is contemptible.

    Like

      • It’s horrifying that these people who are motivated by greed can convince parents to do this to their children and take all their money. People outside of activist circles need to know about this because until there is a sufficient public backlash they’re going to continue getting away with poisoning autistic kids for money

        Like

Leave a comment