‘Am I disabled?’: Confronting your internalised ableism | Jo Copson | TEDxYouth@BrayfordPool

Do you feel ‘lucky’ to not be disabled? Do you really know that you aren’t disabled? Society largely views disability as a personal tragedy and that non-disabled people are lucky to not be in the same position. Jo encourages the audience to face their internalised ableism and challenge their perceptions of what it means to be disabled. She also delves into the most common disability faced by individuals; society.
In 2019, Jo was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a chronic connective tissue disorder impacting her joints, digestion, circulation, cognition, vision, and mental health. After this diagnosis, Jo was forced to challenge her own internalised ableism in order to properly support herself. After reaching a better understanding of her own abilities, Jo began to advocate for those who are in a similar position to herself. She spent this last year as the Disabilities Officer for Lincoln SU, whilst completing her Masters by research at the University of Lincoln. Jo also runs an advocacy account on Instagram, inspired by Amy Lee Fisher, where she posts about her life with EDS and raises awareness of this condition. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@LuckyL0ki]

this changed my life, honestly. i struggle with neuropathy, and truly needed to hear this. thank you :)

[@joygilman1110]

Your talk made me cry. I identified strongly with doubting myelf. Lazy--terrible. Thank you for creating this.

[@Tirza23]

I needed to hear this, thank you! ❤

[@AutisticLed]

Bloody fantastic, thank you very much for this! Brilliant insight and spoken honestly and powerful, questioning ourselves but most prominently, the society that oppresses or disables us.

[@Eitangaming2.0]

I dont get it. Am i bad for saying a person who cant walk cant walk?

[@nigefal]

The problem is the disabled definition is a very broad one. The premise here ignores nuance by just using the umbrella term “disabled”. More specifically I would view this young woman as impaired more than disabled. Similar to the glasses on her face. The glasses are just an aid to overcome an impairment. The fact is this young woman would be on the very low end of GMCS. She walks without walking aids, did not mention balance issues, merely fatigue. And is able to clearly articulate and communicate. There is a big difference between “Jo who is born disabled” v “Jo who is impaired by a medical condition which occasionally makes her fatigued and disabled”

[@jackiecauthron-schafer9554]

You have no idea what she goes through on a daily basis, and have no right to define her as impaired or disabled. She gets to do that. Also, don't think you know what any person's level of fatigue is, or how it affects their daily life. I sit down to brush my teeth. I use a shower chair. I use a mobility scooter 90% of the time on the rare occasion that I leave the house. She might be having a good day, or might manage her levels of fatigue very well. We don't know from one short video. So stop your "ableism" and think for a moment about how little you know, and perhaps you can learn to accept that you know less than you think you do, and that's ok. Just trust that others know better for themselves.

[@mahh154]

When she doubts herself by asking "am I disabled enough?", nearly stopping her from speaking her truth, it's because of this ableist thought process. Invisible disability means we can't see it, but she lives it.

[@jocopson6205]

you saw 9 minutes of my life and made so many assumptions which is partially what is wrong here. i was born with multiple disabling conditions but didn’t allow myself to identify as disabled because i spent so many years pretending like everything was totally normal. if you listened to what i said, maybe you would understand that.

[@ella_cupcake]

Something can’t make you “occasionally disabled.” If you are disabled you are always disabled. It’s not like a chronic illness goes away when the symptoms are less visible to you. All disabilities, even if they don’t seem like a big deal to you, make a huge impact on the life of people living with them. You have no right to tell them that you know its impact on their life better than they do. Also, just calling someone “impaired” like that, when they called themself disabled, sounds really patronizing to me.