1 in 5 Australians are disabled. But despite how common it is, a lot of non-disabled people can be uncomfortable with disability, which could be due to not being educated about it. Others might want to help, but they're scared of doing or saying the wrong thing, and this fear can be so intense that people do nothing instead. But this fear helps no one and can cause harm. As a disabled advocate, I'm here to give you my top tips on being a better ally to the disabled community.
Learn about disability
Learning about disability is possibly the most essential part of being an ally.
You could research things like the different types of disabilities and issues facing the community, as well as following and supporting disabled advocates (because no one knows disability better than we do!) You can read blogs or listen to podcasts with disabled people, read our books, and watch shows and documentaries that represent disability well. Crip Camp on Netflix is great for background information about the disability rights movement.
Follow disabled people online
There are disabled people in almost every industry, so find, follow and support us. Like our posts, comment, and share, as this helps boost our engagement and amplifies our messages. You can also follow disabled organisations, join our newsletters and subscribe. Make sure you follow a wide variety of disabled people, including those who are LGBTQIA+ and people of colour, because intersectionality adds so many layers to the disabled experience that are important to highlight.
If you're looking for suggestions, some great people to support include:
- Peta Hooke
- Carly Findlay
- Sara Shams (No Legs, No Worries)
- Sonny Jane Wise
- Renay Mullholland-Barker
- Flic Manning
- Janey Britt
- Divergent Bell
- Eliza Hull
- Meandering Park
Help us get the word out
If you see disabled people posting about an important issue, please help us amplify it. Even small things can make a difference, like engaging with or sharing our content online, talking to the people around you, or creating your own supportive content (but please acknowledge disabled expertise. Don't talk over us, but feel free to share our voices).
If you want to do even more, you can sign and share petitions, email and call ministers, and share the links, encouraging others to do the same.
Think of ways you can be an ally in your own way
Everyone can make a difference and every little bit counts. If you work in a business or organisation that doesn't have adequate disability policies, accessibility or inclusion, bring it up. If you see something that isn't accessible but could be (like a step with a portable ramp), tell someone. If you see an event or venue with no accessibility information, contact them. It can be exhausting to fight alone. It feels like an uphill battle. So help us carry the load and fight for a more inclusive world—because it benefits everybody, and anyone can become disabled at any time. Don't just wait to support us until it directly impacts you.
Disabled people don't need non-disabled heroes to come in and save us: but what we do need are allies. Don't just say you support the disabled community:actively support us. Because actions speak louder than words. And we can't do this alone.
Zoe Simmons is an award-winning disabled journalist, copywriter, author and speaker. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for more.
