repDISND (pronounced rep-dis-nd) is a collaborative event for members of the disabled and neurodivergent community to talk about disabled and neurodivergent representation. That’s a bit of a mouthful, isn’t it? In short, use whatever medium you prefer (blogging, social media, YouTube, etc.) I’m inviting you to come join us to talk about disabled and neurodivergent representation each year.
repDISND, formerly known as GeekDis, began in September 2021 and was held again the following September. In 2023, it has moved to July to coincide with Disability Pride month.
Language used in repDISND
While ‘disabled’ is one of my personal preferences for identifying language, I’m aware that not everyone may refer to themselves as disabled. I’ve chosen to use this terminology throughout the repDISND event, as it is the language that is universally recognised. I believe that everyone in our community has the right to use the language they feel comfortable with, and I urge anyone taking part in repDISND to do that.
Whether you are a spoonie, chronically ill, crip, Deaf, visually impaired, blind, mentally ill, a chronic illness warrior, a trauma survivor or an identity I’ve not yet heard of … we want you to join us in dismantling stereotypes through discussion every July!
The language we use is an important part of our identity and our representation. If anyone would like to talk about it for repDISND then please do! It is very on-topic!
Defining Disability
I want to reassure people that this is not an elitist event. I will not be requiring any confirmation that you “qualify” or are “disabled/neurodivergent enough”. Likewise, self-diagnosis is valid. I will not tolerate anyone making comments about participants not having a right to take part in this event.
Just Geeking By is also a safe and welcoming environment for everyone who does not have hate in their hearts, which means this event is open to members of the disabled and neurodivergent community of all genders, sexual orientations, races, religions, etcetera. It is not open to people who are prejudiced in any way.
I previously came across this definition of disability on We Need Diverse Books and thought it to be one of the most inclusive definitions I have seen:
We subscribe to a broad definition of disability, which includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction). Furthermore, we subscribe to a social model of disability, which presents disability as created by barriers in the social environment, due to lack of equal access, stereotyping, and other forms of marginalization.
We Need Diverse Books
repDISND follows this definition of “disability” and I want to add that I also consider PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) to be a disability. No matter what language you are comfortable using to identify, you are welcome to take part.
I’ve had a lot of people say to me “I’m not sure if I’m disabled enough” and I want to reiterate that there is no measuring stick. If you consider yourself disabled then you are not just welcome to join this event, you are wanted, to join this event.
If you are still having any worries or queries, please do not hesitate to talk to me.
Not forgetting neurodiversity
The ‘ND’ at the end of repDISND stands for neurodivergent/neurodiversity, and you might wonder why I’ve made that distinction. Quite often the neurodivergent community gets lumped in with disability, and that isn’t very accurate. While neurodiversity can be disabling, not all neurodivergent people consider themselves to be disabled. People who are neurodivergent are born with different pathways in their brains, and it is offensive to suggest that something that occurs naturally is a disability, i.e. something not working correctly. Different does not mean incorrect.
This is something I’ve come to recognise in recent years as I’ve been taking a journey to learn more about myself. Many neurodivergent people also have disabilities. It is, therefore, more respectful to the neurodivergent community as a whole to include them alongside the disabled community when discussing representation. For these reasons, it’s ‘repDISND’ not ‘repDIS’.
You’ve probably heard of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but neurodiversity is much more complex than these two conditions.
Other neurodivergent conditions include:
- Down syndrome.
- Dyscalculia (difficulty with math).
- Dysgraphia (difficulty with writing).
- Dyslexia (difficulty with reading).
- Dyspraxia (difficulty with coordination).
- Intellectual disabilities.
- Mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and more.
- Prader-Willi syndrome.
- Sensory processing disorders.
- Social anxiety (a specific type of anxiety disorder).
- Tourette syndrome.
- Williams syndrome.
(Source)
Please also be aware that ‘neurodivergent/autism awareness’ is a phrase that has a much different meaning to that of ‘disability awareness’. ‘Neurodivergent/autism awareness’ has been co-opted by organisations that believe neurodivergent people should be cured when there isn’t anything to cure.
Instead, please use the phrase ‘neurodivergent/autism acceptance’ to help support the neurodivergent members of our community.