To the Hackley community,

Ableism is a theory that means discrimination against people with disabilities, or less abled than what we would deem healthy. This theory led to the creation of a handicap club on campus called the Disabilities Advocates Organization, who seeks to spread education to the middle and  lower schools, move vehicles out of handicap spots, and launch new projects next year, such as providing special physical education for disabled students across the county, and reforming the health curriculum.

Ableism devalues bodies and minds deemed by the medical community as deviant, abnormal, or defective. Words such as “retarded” are hurtful and have negative connotations, as it connects  a word that means mental illness with a stupid action, perpetuating negative stereotypes. Ableism is far too frequent on Hackley’s campus today in the forms of language, the misuse of handicap parking, and the layout of our buildings.

The meaning behind words that could be heard in everyday life actually have negative underlying meanings. For example, the word “dumb” refers to deaf people, or people that cannot speak. While some of these words have been reappropriated by society, it is still just as bad and continues negative connections towards those with a disability. These different word usages give offensive meanings towards disabled people. If you’ve ever heard someone say something like “That’s retarded!”, don’t push it aside. Even if you believe that the person does not mean offense or if you don’t know them, still educate them on the roots of the words. This is critical as without an increase in education, there will be no way for us to move forward as a community.

Awareness is important to end the blindness to ableism. Here’s a list of words that may seem harmless but are actually ableist: deaf, dumb, blind, idiot, moron, imbecile, crazy, insane, retard, lunatic, psycho, spaz, cripple.

While the people using these words may not believe them to be harmful or offensive, they are. For a community claiming to be inclusive, we need to broaden our vision to this particular issue and rid our community of this derogatory language. These words are far too prevalent in Hackley’s classrooms and hallways, as reported by disabled and non-disabled persons. The use of these words sends a message to disabled students that they are not welcome.   

Furthermore, on campus, we have a huge problem with people parking in handicapped spots without a tag. Let us make this clear: these spots are not for you while you pick-up your child and they are not for you to use when there is no other parking. The spots with blue lines in the middle are not extra spots, they are designated spaces for handicapped people who may need more space getting out.

The club has been taking note of who has been parking in the spots and seeing if they did it legally. What we found, was 22/48 (46%) times someone parked in the spot, they did so legally, meaning with a valid tag. The rate of non handicapped people parking in spots specifically designated for handicapped people is terrible as it makes handicapped students, teachers, visitors, and families park a distance they may not be able to walk.

As a solution, as we recognize that students do not cause most of this problem, tell your parents that under no circumstances, even if they are there for five minutes, can they park in handicap parking spots. If you see someone else you do not know, do not be afraid to knock on their window and politely tell them why it is problematic.

Furthermore, there are not a lot of venues for handicapped students to travel around the school with the lack of elevators. To avoid stairs and get to the next floor, a disabled student would have to walk to the library elevator and then go up to the next floor. When your friend is injured or disabled, make sure to be aware of the lack of accessibility, and try and accompany them on their detours to ensure that your friend feels included.

The new health and wellness center also poses new problems for disabled or injured persons. There are two main entrances to the new center. The main entrance requires climbing multiple staircases, and the second, behind the center, requires navigating a rocky, dirt path road, making it unsuitable for handicapped students. The third requires walking around the center up the main drive up to Pickert Field. This hurts handicapped students as it would require that student to take the least direct route, not only by excluding them from their friends, but also by making it a harder walk. Furthermore, the main viewing center for the basketball court is up a flight of stairs, making it inaccessible for disabled individuals.

As a school that promotes community, friendship, and equity, we need to be more aware when making decisions about what to say, where to park, or where you’re going. Together, we can change the culture on this campus to create a more inclusive and united community for all persons.

Sincerely,

The Disability Advocates Organization, Philip Bonanno ‘19, Robert Patterson ‘19, Katherine Gonick ‘19, Evangeline Coffinas ‘19, and Karina Bridger ‘19