Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally

by Emily Ladau

But keep in mind that disabled people aren’t exempt from experiencing privilege simply because they’re disabled. As a white disabled person, I am afforded privilege that people of color (both disabled and nondisabled) are not. And because my disability doesn’t impact my ability to communicate verbally, I experience privilege not shared with people who don’t communicate verbally. Privilege and lack thereof take many forms, and we can’t talk about disability without constantly acknowledging that humans are complex, with overlapping, intersecting identities and opportunities that influence how we perceive the world and how the world perceives us.