Tag: disabled people

Categories
The Internet BRB Gone Viral Pop Culture

15 #DisabledCompliments tweets you need to read right the eff now

Three black women pose against a white background as they huddle in for a selfie. The woman on the right is wearing glasses and holding up her phone, the one in the middle is seated in a wheelchair and wears a coy smile, and the one on the left has neon pink hair and a cane in hand.
[Image description: Three black women pose against a white background as they huddle in for a selfie. The woman on the right is wearing glasses and holding up her phone, the one in the middle is seated in a wheelchair and wears a coy smile, and the one on the left has neon pink hair and a cane in hand.] Via Disabled And Here on Affect

People with disabilities have taken to Twitter with the hashtag #DisabledCompliments to share the insensitive, backhanded, and all around ableist “compliments” they’ve had to endure from others. 

The tag took off on Saturday when disability activist Imani Barbarin (@Imani_Barbarin) shared a thread of comments she’d been subjected to under the guise of compliments.

Since, others have joined in far and wide with one user dubbing the supposed praises as “super fucking obnoxious”.

Here’s what others had to say under #DisabledCompliments:

1. Disabled and attractive? Gasp!

Someone hit up all news outlets because clearly, this is breaking news.

2. Classic “foot in the mouth” situation

I’d really like to know the thought process behind forming such a dignified compliment. It baffles me.

3. Classic “foot in the mouth” situation, Part II

And with that attitude, methinks that person should refrain from openly voicing their opinions.

4. #RelationshipGoals

Makes you wonder what kind of bad SOs that person had the misfortune of being with.

5. Yes, you don’t think

Don’t you just love and appreciate when people tell you who you are or aren’t? I’m heart-eye emoji-ing rn.

6. Why education is v important

IT”S A BLESSING ERYNN, TAKE THE COMPLIMENT. Geez.

7. At least, right?

I don’t even have words.

8. Can you not?

https://twitter.com/davidnoob/status/1144954999899770882

That last one is just teetering on inspiration porn.

9. Umm, what?

Someone needs to look up the definition of lucky, and it isn’t Carla.

10. Stop it, I blush

That person is doing excellent at not showing their sensitivity – bravo!

11. Thanks indeed

https://twitter.com/naomi_fryers/status/1145238282436927488

We’ve all said it once, so I’m saying it again; mass education on world issues is so so so important.

12. Classic “foot in the mouth” situation, Part III

To think that Abbey has heard enough #DisabledCompliments for her to have favorites is appalling.

13. Not disabled disabled

Sorry, you must be this tall to earn the honor of calling yourself disabled.

14. Look on the bright side

Someone is summer vacation-ing wrong.

15. Just… no

Yet another person who needs to look up the definition of lucky.

The fact that #DisabledCompliments took off so quickly and is trending so widely makes it clear that the community in question is frustrated and tired AF of being on the receiving end of such ableist comments, and being ignored in wider conversations.

https://twitter.com/MadisonLeighT/status/1145144610571915264

Ableism – discrimination that takes place in favor of able-bodied people – is so present in everyday speak that many fail to pick up on it. And look, it’s obvious that some people unintentionally, and perhaps out of a place of discomfort, voice such compliments in an effort to make the other person “feel better”. 

But that’s not needed, and tbh, it’s uncalled for. All you have to do is be mindful and open to learning about others’ experiences without feeling the need to “fix” a situation.

Check out our pieces on ableism and disability to learn more!

Categories
Press

The Tempest is committed to leading the accessibility movement in media

pixabay.com

When we first began The Tempest in early 2016, our company ethos was crystal-clear: evolving global conversations using inclusivity and diversity through every facet of our work. It is an ethos that has allowed us to compete alongside older, more established media entities, a set of values that every person on the team espouses on a day-to-day basis.

Through the lens of inclusivity and diversity as core values, growth took off – and continues to do so – with the conversations, realizations, and messages our platform fosters daily reaching millions from more than ninety countries across the world. Between 2016 and 2017, our audience grew by 500%. Our audience is composed of engaged, enthusiastic individuals who are seeking out their place in the world – mostly women, mostly politically engaged, and tapped into a larger reality that stretches far beyond their zip code.

Quite simply, our audience reflected our team at Tempest HQ – people we’d love to grab a coffee (or chai!) with to discuss anything from technology to travel, beauty to cultural realities.

As a young media company, our team consistently makes an effort to step back and gauge how we’re doing – and what we can do better. To stay stagnant is to strip our mission of its effectiveness, and besides – experimentation and smart pivoting is part of how The Tempest thrives.

[bctt tweet=”Tempest HQ has decided to actively incorporate accessibility into every initiative.” username=”wearethetempest”]

With that in mind, we came to the realization that while we were practicing inclusivity for much of our audience, we were falling short for a significant demographic: people with disabilities. With more than 1.3 billion self-identifying people with disabilities in the world, we were doing a disservice to crucial members of the world by failing to fully optimize our offerings for their consumption, too.  

Rather than attempt to brush this realization under the table, Tempest HQ has decided to actively incorporate accessibility into every initiative and product offering. Our pivot is spearheaded by our Co-Founder and CTO, Mashal Waqar, who notes that, “As a company, we have a considerable amount of power in shifting norms and expectations. As such, we are prioritizing and employing techniques to make sure our content, in all formats, including audio and video, will now be fully accessible. Quite simply, we are here to prioritize accessibility because it is a human right.”

[bctt tweet=”With inclusivity and diversity as core values, growth took off and continues to do so.” username=”wearethetempest”]

Through this shift, we hope to see more corporations, media outlets, and organizations move in a fully inclusive, accessible direction that brings the entire world to the table. We are still a ways from a world in which everything is accessible, but things are changing.

The Tempest is committed to being at the forefront of the accessibility movement.