March celebrates International Women’s Day and this year our first Chair of Soroptimist International Milton Keynes Branch, Angie Novell and CEO of MK Snap (Milton Keynes Special Needs Achievement Project) wants us to #ChoosetoChallenge where disabled women are absent from discussions or recognition or side-lined by the language we hear.
On #IWD2021 I ask you to remember the contributions & challenges faced by all women; but in particular those women that live with a disability. The unique lived experiences of disabled women are often lost in the discussions we hear, disregarded in the language we use & missing from platforms for recognition. As one disabled friend said to me ‘You try ‘standing up for women’ when you are sitting in a wheelchair!’ We must challenge perceptions. As a disabled woman; I was told at a checkout that I didn’t ‘look deaf’ leading me to explain that some disabilities are not always ‘visible’.
We can challenge stereotypes & inequality but must listen to the lived experiences of disabled people to drive positive change. I work with disabled people & have seen the magic that happens when you start to ‘believe’ that someone can achieve their full potential. Belief in a persons ‘potential’ has the ability to manifest incredible transformation & change. If you are one of the women I am referring to; chances are you have already had to fight the dual hurdles of disability & gender inequality. Now, with the impact of C19 disproportionately impacting people with disabilities; #ChooseToChallenge where disabled women are absent from discussions or recognition or side-lined by the language we hear.