Hello!
If you’re reading this, then you may be non-disabled, or you may be disabled and/or neurodivergent but unable to take part in repDISND for whatever reason. Whoever you are, first, I want to say I appreciate you taking the time to read this and learn about repDISND. If you have no idea what repDISND is about, let me explain a little.
repDISND (formerly called GeekDis) is a month-long collaborative event for the disabled and neurodivergent community that takes place every July. By a collaborative event, I mean one that anyone who identifies (self-diagnosis is valid!) as disabled and/or neurodivergent can join, no matter where they are located or what disability or condition they have, to discuss disabled and neurodivergent representation.
If you’re non-disabled, this may not seem like a big deal to you. But being disabled and/or neurodivergent isn’t just a label; it’s an entire identity. For me, not recognising myself as disabled and neurodivergent meant that I didn’t contact the disability services at my first University, and doing so may very well have cost me a grade certification for my dissertation.
I had to get an extension due to ill health and in some universities if you have to get an extension for your dissertation, even due to medical grounds, that results in points being docked. If I had been registered as a disabled student, I would have been excused due to chronic illness. So, as you can see, recognising oneself as disabled has very real implications for those of us in the disabled community.
So, what does my story have to do with disability representation? A lot more than you think. Imagine never seeing someone like you in anything you see on TV, read in a book, magazine or newspaper, or any game you play.
Or when you do, always being told it’s bad to be like you.
Every single person has an identity. Whether it’s gender, their occupation, or where they’re from. Pick any one of them and imagine never seeing that anywhere. Ever. For some of you it’s probably easy, for quite a lot of you it’s probably impossible, or you’re laughing it off because it would never happen, right? We have a name for that, my friends, but that’s not the topic of today.
I’m just one person, and I also represent a tiny part of disabled and neurodivergent representation. That is why I made repDISND a collaborative event rather than just writing several articles from my perspective. This topic is too big for me to talk about, and I don’t have the right to talk about other people’s experiences. What I can do is give people a platform, and that is what repDISND is about.
Supporting repDISND
If you’re still with me and would like to help support repDISND, and in turn support accurate disabled and neurodivergent representation, here is how you can do it:
1. Read and Listen
A lot of disabled people are going to be talking in a variety of ways over the next month, and the most important thing you can do is read and listen to what we’re saying. You wouldn’t tell a mathematician how to do maths, so leave us to do what we know, and that’s talking about what we live with every day.
2. Follow the repDISND Hashtag!
The hashtag for repDISND #repDISND! It’s the same on every social media site, and you can find me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X. This will let you see everyone’s posts, not just mine.
Please note that before 2024 the old hashtag was #GeekDis. You can view previous years’ content via this hashtag, but please do not use it from now on.
3. Share everywhere!
One thing I’ve noticed is that everyone is quick to say they love the idea of repDISND and to throw out the likes on social media posts, but actually sharing something about disabled or neurodivergent representation on their timeline? That’s where they draw the line. Don’t be that person. Hit the share button! And remember that this is a collaborative event, so don’t just share my posts!
You can also share posts from previous years; 2021, 2022 and 2023!
4. Join in the Film/TV & Book Bingo
There are two repDISND bingo cards; one for watching films and TV shows, and another for reading books. These bingos will each have a positive and a negative side. During July, I’m going to ask you to try to watch and/or read at least one thing with a disabled character in it. I want you to use the repDISND bingo card and see how many you tick off.
5. Don’t let us fight alone
Never speak for a disabled and/or neurodivergent person because this implies that we are incapable of doing it ourselves and is extremely rude. But that doesn’t mean you have to leave us to fight alone. Pulling someone up for their attitude and their rudeness is ok, but please do it in a way that remains respectful to the disabled and/or neurodivergent person and does not push them out of the conversation. We’re disabled and/or neurodivergent, not invisible.