On Sunday, people began sharing sayings, microaggressions, and everyday instances of ableism. They used the hashtag #YouMightBeAbleist. Here's what they said.
1.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf *Get some fresh air, you'll feel better *You don't "look" sick *It's all in your head *Church will help *Just pray about it *You were fine yesterday *You're doing this to yourself *The meds make you this way *Just force yourself to do it
2.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you think "eating healthier" will cure medical issues or disabilities. Eating vegetables will not cure me Karen!
3.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you park on the lines next to the handicapped parking spaces... they’re there for a reason!!
4.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you call someone “high functioning” as a compliment.
5.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf if you think it's a miracle or a sign of "faking disability" when ambulatory wheelchair users stand up out of their wheelchairs.
6.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you repeatedly dismiss my description of my disability with an “oh EVERYONE has that problem” No TF they don’t. Pound sand.
7.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you are inspired when you see a disabled person just living their life.
8.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf your first response to someone taking the time to open up to you about their struggles is informing them that there are several others who are far worse off than them.
9.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf "You don't look sick." "You just want attention." "Everybody has pain." "You should go gluten-free." "You're too young to have X." "Do you really need that cane?" "It's just pain." "It's not PTSD if you weren't in the military."
10.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you went to 8 years of medical school only to tell a black person they can’t possibly have the symptoms they’re experiencing. Wait...did I do this right?
11.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you ‘don’t see me as disabled’. It’s not a compliment. I want you to see me as disabled, because I am disabled. When you ‘don’t see the disability,’ you attempt to erase a fundamental aspect of my identity.
12.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you congratulate every teen taking someone with a disability to prom. They don’t need medals for treating people as human
13.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you you regularly ignore the boundaries of disabled folks to "help". You're not doing it for us if you can't be bothered to ask first, you're just doing it to make yourself feel like a hero
14.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you think a subminimum wage is ok bc “at least they have something to do”
15.
#YouMightBeAbleistIf you think accommodations are just special treatment instead of what they truly are: an equalizer