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What we believe
Our operating principles
1.
We believe ableism is disabling to society and universal empowerment is a must.
We believe that "ableism," a word referring to society's prioritization of those who are seemingly healthy and capable, does a disservice to society. It's also a touch ironic. By exclusively prioritizing the healthy and capable at the expense of others, society runs the risk of eliminating opportunities for handicapped individuals to contribute. Considering just how many strong, brilliant, powerful handicapped individuals this world has produced, and how fundamentally they have changed the world in myriad ways, it would seem that ableism is, ironically, a disabling force, one that makes society weaker by failing to empower those who might benefit it.
2.
We believe that every individual has the ability to contribute and society has a vested interest in fostering those contributions.
Every individual has strengths. Every individual has weaknesses. Rather than prioritizing those who are (or seem to be) free of handicaps, society should instead remember that all of us, regardless of our weaknesses and in some cases even because of them, have the ability to contribute meaningfully. Society should find every way possible to foster talent wherever it exists, which includes protecting, uplifting, and empowering the disabled as a general rule.
3.
We believe that "ability" and "disability" are subjective terms and we should strive to embrace that subjectivity.
What may seem like a weakness may in fact be a motivating force, an inspiration to develop another strength, or a source of fresh perspective. Rather than insisting on a rigid definition of ability versus disability, society needs to recognize the inherent subjectivity in these words and the blurry relationship between strengths and weaknesses. Every strength is a weakness, and every weakness is a strength. There is not one definition of how to be or how to contribute, nor should there be.
4.
We believe that necessity is the mother of invention.
Some of the greatest inventions in history originated as solutions for handicapped individuals. Still other innovations occurred because a disabled person saw the world in a different way. Necessity is the mother of invention, and our weaknesses can be powerful motivators to improve ourselves, our society, our world at large.
5.
We believe that kindness is more than good manners.
Kindness isn’t just a nice way to behave—it’s also socially useful. By supporting and uplifting one another as often as possible, we dramatically increase the chance that some of us—and hopefully all of us and our own way—will be able to contribute to the betterment of civilization. Every outcast, every victim, every target of discrimination, is an individual whose potential contributions run the risk of being wasted. We should pull together, care for one another, and prioritize love over hate not only because it feels good, and not only because it is good, but because it is good for us all.
6.
We believe that sticking together is the best way to create change.
In a world where disabilities are still not properly understood or addressed, we strongly believe that creating a community of the disabled is an important and necessary step in order to guarantee our protection under the law and our ability to contribute meaningfully to the world around us. We are stronger and braver and even more capable together, hence the need for community.
7.
We believe that the disabled have an even greater incentive to be politically and socially engaged, and so we pledge to be both.
Political and social engagement are critical for every individual in society, but we believe that the disabled have a uniquely powerful incentive to engage with communities around them. Given that supporting disabled communities often requires a complex network of laws and social support systems, all of which are controlled by social and political institutions and apparatuses, it is absolutely essential that the sick and disabled spend at least some time engaging with these systems, as activists and advocates, so as to shape their own destinies and make the world safer for disabled individuals.