30th anniversary of the ADA: The Intersectionality of Racism and Disability

We mark the 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) this Sunday, July 26. What is the intersection of Racism and Disability? We need to address all isms in the work to eradicate systemic racism.

The summer issue of “Voice of the United Methodist Disability Connection” discusses the intersectionality: “Many of us are working for the end of the killing of unarmed black men and women by police. Thirty to 80 percent of those killed were persons with some type of disability. (The exact number is unknown because no one tracks these statistics.) There are instances of Black Deaf men being shot because they didn't hear the verbal command to stop. At least a quarter of victims were experiencing a psychiatric crisis and unable to communicate their needs. If one's disability causes slower or atypical speech or reactions, a person is at a higher risk of being injured or killed.”

We are trying to eliminate the school to prison pipeline. Black children are disproportionately punished, suspended, arrested, and incarcerated, and the rates for children with disabilities are even higher

Participating in antiracism protests, we need to make sure they are accessible as was a recent Milwaukee march. “The route was level and the march led by wheelchair users who set the pace. Sign language interpreters were stationed throughout. . . Ear plugs were available at rest stations for people sensitive to the noise level.”

There have been a lot of wonderful structural changes since passage of the ADA, Paratransit or buses with lifts didn't exist before, and there were no curb cuts in the sidewalks. Now people with disabilities can use power wheelchairs in public. People’s use of service dogs is accepted. Students receive extra time for tests and other accommodations to help them do well.

But attitudes change slowly. Former Iowa senator Tom Harkin, prominent co-author of the ADA and today still a strong advocate, recently said in a PBS special that the percentage of people with disabilities being employed is no higher than it was 30 years ago. People of color continue to face discrimination in employment.

Churches were exempt from the ADA. We have learned that having loud worship isn't always good for people with autism; others with disabilities also need a quieter environment. Many congregations now do have assisted listening devices, large print bulletins and hymnals, lever doorknobs, even some chancel ramps. Some have lowered their welcome center counters, redesigned a bathroom, installed better lighting, fixed the sidewalk, and installed automatic door openers to the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and restrooms.

What has not changed? We still have assemblies and conference meetings scheduled in inaccessible spaces, with no one questioning that choice. Parents still tell their children not to look or ask about disability, teaching them that disability is a bad thing.

Some churches are still stuck in ableist theology that says disability is either a blessing or a curse for sin. Candidates for ministry who have a disability often are discouraged from proceeding, or their application is simply “lost.”

Businesses still often do not comply with anti-discrimination policies/laws in regard to racism nor with accommodations for people living with a disability. There are few adverse consequents for such exclusivity. However, together we can help dismantle racism and confront ableism.