Media laden…
Hello everyone,
This is super late, but here it is: the recap from June 19th to June 22nd. 😊
As always, picture descriptions were generated by A.I.
June 19
I was part of a panel discussion on ableism and the importance of political activism for people with disabilities. There were two sessions, each lasting around 40 minutes. We covered a lot, but I’ll summarise the key points from my perspective.
One major topic was whether ableism is rooted in ignorance and inaccessibility or outright discrimination. In other words, when we fight ableism, are we fighting ignorance and a lack of accessibility, or are we confronting direct discrimination?
The answer is: all of the above. Ableism is discrimination, prejudice, or bias against people with disabilities. Sometimes it stems from ignorance, sometimes it’s direct exclusion or dehumanisation.
When it comes to inaccessibility, it becomes ableism when there’s an unwillingness to improve the situation. If people genuinely can’t fix it with the resources they have but want to, that’s a different matter.
We also discussed whether the word discrimination is too harsh. The answer: nope. Yes, it’s a heavy word, but so is the reality it describes. Discrimination means being treated unfairly, being excluded, or being prejudged based on something you can’t control. That’s not something to downplay, avoid, or sugarcoat—it needs to be called out and addressed.
That being said, I understand that speaking up can come at a cost. Maybe you’re scared of ruining relationships with colleagues. Maybe it could even cost you your job. But if people exclude you or look down on you for things you can’t control… maybe they’re not worth having around.
Of course, when it comes to work, it is a bit more complicated. If you have to pay the bills and it would be difficult to find another job, you might have no choice. However, as soon as you have the means to, it is best to quit the job, or at least call the discriminatory behaviour out and see what happens. If you don’t, it will simply continue to eat away at you and your own sense of self-worth, not to mention embolden the people doing it to treat other people that come after you the same way.
They said they’re frustrated when people call them “amazing” just for doing everyday things—like showing up at an event or going out—because of their disability. It can feel like people constantly underestimate you or look down on you.
The answer is yes and no. I decide to see it as people being amazed that we do things that might be everyday things to others, because they are aware that the world around us isn’t really accessible or inclusive for people with a disability, and they are impressed we navigate those obstacles and do what we want to do anyway, instead of them underestimating us or looking down on us.
This doesn’t mean I am blind to the other possibility—pun intended.
It is just that this way of viewing it is better for my mental health. I also don’t want positive things like compliments or people being happy that you’re there to turn into negativity. I want to be able to honestly appreciate people’s feelings, intentions, and positive energy, and take it in the spirit in which it was given.
Besides, if someone really underestimates you or looks down on you, you will find out soon enough in their subsequent behaviour. Most of the time it is because of ignorance. If you have the time and energy, you can try to inform people and make them aware. If not, you can end the conversation and move on.
After the panel and the end-of-year event, I went home to drop off my stuff, then headed to a party I had tickets for.
When I arrived, they were playing a game to win travel vouchers for a group trip. Unfortunately, it wasn’t accessible. They’d hidden flags around the outdoor terrace, and whoever found the most won. I could’ve teamed up with someone, but since it was a competition, that didn’t really work.
That’s fine though—I didn’t inform them that I was arriving beforehand, so they couldn’t have known that their game needed to be accessible. I decided to inform them anyway, just to let them know for future events.
I asked someone to guide me to the table where they were explaining the game. I ended up speaking to someone from the event sponsor, WeRoad.
She gave a bit of a shitty answer. Basically, she said that it wasn’t really her problem. If I wanted an accessible event, according to her, I should have visited a party that is made accessible. As they never advertised themselves as accessible, she reasoned, it wasn’t their problem.
Of course, I wasn’t very impressed with that particular answer. First, they also never said they were inaccessible. Second, that’s basically trying to justify exclusion—and that’s not how it works. After a bit of pressing, she said she isn’t from the organization, only a sponsor. She offered to bring me to someone from the organization, and I agreed.
Thankfully, the event organisers—called THURSDAY—were lovely. They thanked me for the feedback and told me they’d take it into account for future events. I thanked them and started mingling with others.
Well, first I took a moment to myself.
Even though I tried to shake it off, the sponsor’s attitude did sour the mood at first. Why couldn’t she have just thanked me for the feedback, like the organisers did?
The lady from the sponsor could at least have said that she wasn’t from the organization in the first place, instead of commenting on where I do or don’t belong.
That would have saved us both a lot of effort.
Of course, deep down you know better, but pain and disappointment aren’t always things you can quickly rationalize away.
This might sound a bit cliché and dorky, but whenever I get into a negative mindset like that, I take a sstep back for a bit and go watch some of the inspiring parts of anime I love—things that got me to become politically active in the first place.
This might sound cheesy or nerdy (probably both), but whenever I get in that kind of mindset, I step back and watch some of the anime moments that originally inspired me to become politically engaged and lead a more active lifestyle.
One of those moments is from Your Lie in April.
No big spoilers, but there’s a quote from a character who’s sick and about to undergo surgery:
“Even if the odds are a million to one, I’ll still fight with everything I have.
If I gave up and just faded away, what kind of daughter would I be?
that is the exact mindset I want to foster in myself as well. So whenever I am dissepointed by people and start doubting whether it’s even worth it, I rewatch that scene—or a few others I won’t get into now (or we’ll be here all night 😄).
Anyway, after that little reset, I went back to socialising.”
I am glad I stayed, as I met some very nice people. I also talked more with the organization. They are actually very nice people, and based in London. They organize a lot more there, including running events. I exchanged contacts with them for when I am on exchange there. 😊
So all in all, aside from that little episode at the beginning, I had a very lovely time. And in the end, speaking up almost always pays out—even if you don’t see that right away. In this case, I did the same evening, but sometimes you see the fruits of your effort a few months or years later.
On Friday, I mostly studied and did some prep work for my exchange. From 19:30 till 21:45 I had a meeting with the working group against ableism. I signed up for one of the events of the Refugee Welcome Week after that meeting, but I was so tired at that point that I only stayed for about an hour. I didn’t have any energy left.
On Saturday, Amsterdam celebrated its 750th anniversary. It was a huge celebration on the highway lasting the entire day. I was there from 11:00 am till 22:00. The Special Social Club had a stand there the entire day, and I wanted to be there to support—and because the people there are really nice. 😊
The Special Social Club organizes accessible parties for people with disabilities. These are fun events that focus on joy and friendship, where you can truly be yourself.
Their parties are for everyone—whether you want to dance, chat, or simply enjoy yourself in your own way, everything is possible and nothing is required.
It was super hot—around 30 degrees Celsius. So during the morning and afternoon I just sat around with cold drinks, talked with people, and got to know them. There was music, but it was way too hot to do anything.
Around the evening it became a lot more lively. Around the high point, we had hundreds of people show up. At some point it got so busy that they had to stop playing on the orders of the municipality, as it was getting too crowded.
The Special Club is building a great community. I am really proud of the community they have built. It is amazing to see everyone doing their best and having fun together—to have a place where you’re accepted for who you are and don’t always have to explain yourself, to not be the odd one out.
Of course, I go wherever I want whenever I want—whether it is specially made accessible or not. But it is nice to have a place where you can just be yourself and don’t always have to be the role model for others. answering sometimes weird questions and giving people the safe space to ask and learn, putting up with rude drunk people calmly, and showing what’s possible. Be prepared for the unexpected and to change your plans. If I am not in the correct mindset for that, I don’t go out on my own, as I wouldn’t react to situations in the way I would want to. I love meeting new people, and if I can help make people more aware in any way, I am more than happy to do it—but you can’t always be on in that way.
Thanks a lot for what you do—keep up the amazing work! At some point, they got so many donations that the donation page crashed.
Anyway, after a bit of waiting with no music, they could continue for a bit around the end of the event, around 21:30. I also danced a bit in the evening, as it was finally doable with the temperature.
The event ended at 22:00.
A group of five people posing together at a sunny outdoor event. They are standing in front of a stage with a black roof and banners displaying, among other things, “SPECIAL SOCIAL CLUB” and “OP!”. On the left is a man with dark skin, wearing a bandana, sunglasses, a colorful shirt, and wide jeans, pointing his arm forward. Next to him is a woman with curly hair, a black shirt, and light-colored pants, smiling. In the middle is a man wearing a light blue polo shirt, a black shoulder bag, and holding a water bottle in his hand. To his right stands a man with blond hair, a dark blue shirt, and shorts. On the far right is a young woman with long dark hair, a red top, and denim shorts, smiling broadly. Trees and a blue sky are visible in the background. The atmosphere is cheerful and relaxed.
Selfie of a man and a woman. The man is on the left, wearing a bright blue polo shirt and has short, dark hair. His left eye appears cloudy, likely blind, and he smiles with a crooked grin. He has a shoulder bag and is holding something white in his hand. The woman on the right has long, light brown hair with blonde highlights and is wearing a black top with white patterns. She is smiling broadly and has a tattoo of a small branch with leaves on her right shoulder. In the background, you can see a black cloth and some greenery from trees. They appear to be outdoors, probably at an event or festival.
On Sunday, we had a family gathering. My cousin got married on the 29th, and on the 22nd all the nephews organized a paintball session together. Sadly, I got an eye infection Sunday morning. I woke up with it. I tried going anyway, but when I tried to put on the helmet, it just didn’t work. The air inside the helmet was humid, and I could just feel that it would make my eyes even worse if I forced it, so I just sat this one out. I decided to just grab a coffee at the café of the venue. Thankfully the weather was nice, so I could sit outside and just relax for a bit.
My eyes are very unstable. One day you’re fine, and the next it can suddenly be very painful—to the point it can be difficult to even open your eyes. At that point, you don’t even care that you can’t see—my vision is shit anyway. The real problem is the pain; it just distracts from anything I try to do.
And that was that weekend.
Sorry it took me so long to share. I wanted to make it properly, and The infection lasted until the following Friday, and the whole week was a mess as a result.
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