DISABLED women are too often left out of feminist discussions, two campaigners who are launching a social media campaign to challenge harmful stereotypes today claim.
Ginny Butcher, 22, who has muscular dystrophy, and Dr Amy Kavanagh, 31, from west London, who is visually impaired, said that International Women’s Day is a “good chance for us to speak up and be listened to hopefully.”
Their campaign seeks to tackle the “vulnerability” label often attached to disabled women, arguing that it is not their impairment that makes them vulnerable but discrimination in society.
The pair are urging disabled women to Tweet: “I’m not vulnerable because I’m a disabled woman, I’m made to be vulnerable by…” completing the post with their own experience.
“So often we’re just left out of the conversation when it comes to feminism,” Ms Butcher said. “Disabled women are so often portrayed as inherently vulnerable because of our disabilities. We’re trying to move away from that and we’re asking people to choose to challenge that concept of vulnerability.”
Dr Kavanagh explained that though disabled women do feel vulnerable, this is “often something that’s created by external things, environments” such as medical ableism, sexual violence and poverty rather than their disability.
“Being blind isn’t really what makes me vulnerable,” she said. “It’s not having safe roads to cross, or people violating my consent by helping me without asking.”
Ms Butcher said: “We’re not offered contraception or STD tests because people think we can’t have sex.”
People who want to get involved in the social media campaign are encouraged to include the #NotVulnerableIWD hashtag in their post.
