Why is Baobab embedding the Disability Justice Approach?
Baobab Foundation is embedding The Disability Justice approach as it provides a framework for ending oppression and promoting liberation, justice & Unity for all. It calls for “leaving no one behind”; this comprehensive approach provides a roadmap for building an equal and equitable society, free from the injustice that often affects people who are most marginalised.
History
Throughout history, Disabled people have been subject to various forms of oppression, discrimination, and violence. During the time of slavery in the United States, Black Disabled People were often seen as useless or unproductive, and were therefore not given as much value as non-disabled slaves. This created a hierarchy within the slave value system of capitalism, where Black Disabled people were often subject to abuse, violence and neglect, which has led to eugenics.
The civil rights movement of the 1950 - 1960s brought to light many of the injustices that disabled people faced, and it played a role in the emergence of the disability rights movement. Disabled activists during this time focused on issues such as accessibility, independent living, and employment discrimination, as well as on challenging the medical model of disability, which viewed disabled people as flawed and in need of fixing.
In the 1990s, Black Disability activists began to critique the limitations of the Social Model, arguing that it did not go far enough to address the systemic oppression of Disabled People, especially Black Disabled People. They argued that disability was not simply a matter of individual impairment, but was also shaped by intersecting factors such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and economics. This led to the emergence of the Disability Justice framework, which seeks to address these intersectional experiences and challenges the larger systems of oppression that affect Black Disabled People who are the most marginalised.
Inclusive justice
At the heart of this approach is the idea of “inclusive justice”. This means that we must recognise and value the uniqueness of body/mind and ensure that all people are valued and have access to equal and equitable rights, opportunities, and resources. This includes access to freedom of movement, education, healthcare, employment, social life, housing, and justice. Most importantly, the Disability Justice approach calls for intersectional strategies to disability rights. This means that when considering the rights of disabled people, we must also connect the rights of other marginalised communities, such as Black people/global majority, people of different gender identities, and people living in poverty .
Our Voices
The Disability Justice framework also emphasises the importance and necessity of community-based approaches to disability rights. This means that Black disabled people should be actively engaged in the work of creating a more just society. This could include advocating for better access to resources, working with policymakers to ensure that laws and regulations are disability-inclusive, and working with employers to increase job opportunities for disabled people.
Mind shift
The Disability Justice framework calls for a shift in how we think about disability. This means rejecting the idea that disability is an individual “problem” that must be fixed, and instead recognising that oppression of Disabled People is part of the collective struggle. It also means recognising the strengths, the uniqueness and power in working with differences in body/mind of everyone and understanding that real change requires us to work together to create a more equal and equitable society for all. The Disability Justice framework is a powerful tool for creating meaningful change for Black Disabled people and beyond. By embracing this framework, we can take meaningful steps towards a more just and inclusive future.
Centring the Experiences of Black Disabled People in Creating an Equal & Equitable Society
The Disability Justice framework is an important approach to use when thinking about creating an equal and equitable society. In recognising interdependence, collective care, and wellbeing, and challenging and changing the way we work, we can create a society that works for all.
As activists promoting disability justice, we believe it is important to recognise the shared experiences that Black disabled people with our uniqueness and intersections have been consistently excluded, erased from society, and denied access to the equal and equitable rights and privileges as white disabled/non-disabled people. Disability justice is an approach that values the unique gifts and experiences of Black disabled people and aims to create a more equitable, inclusive, and just society. At its core, disability justice is based on the idea that all disabled people are respected and valued as equal members of society. This implies creating a world where all disabled people are not only included, but that our voices and perspectives are also heard. Therefore, it requires shifting away from traditional models of inclusion and towards a framework that centres the needs and experiences of Black disabled people.
The call
Disability Justice calls us to commit to the idea that disability is a social issue, not an individual one. Recognising the systemic barriers that black disabled people face and actively working to dismantle them. It requires a radical systematic change to equal and equitable resourcing the most marginalised communities and organisations that work at margins of society. Importantly bring to the forefront interdependency and recognising that we are all important in search for Freedom, Unity, and Justice. Black disabled People need “allies and advocates” to become radical friends which means having radical compassion.
It is also important to recognise that disability justice is not just about making physical spaces more accessible. For example, as black disabled people we still feel excluded in an accessible white disabled people’s movement because of intersectional erasure. It is about creating a world that is truly inclusive and welcoming to ALL. This calls on us to create a culture of acceptance and radical empathy, actively working to combat ableism, disablism and other oppressions.
As we work towards a more just, equal, and equitable future, it is crucial for allies and advocates to become "radical friends" and join the movements toward UNITY, JUSTICE, and FREEDOM. We call for the involvement in acknowledging and dismantling oppressive systems, actively combating oppressions, and creating a culture for active participation in the recognition and dismantling of oppressive systems, and the establishment of a culture that values all. By embracing the Disability Justice approach, we can collectively work towards a future where all people, regardless of their unique body/mind, can live with dignity, respect, and freedom.
Baobab is changing and it’s starting from within first.
