46 Days Later: Trump, Disability & the Role of Artists

Everyday Trump gains more power. And everyday our elected officials do very little to push back against that. And it leaves many different marginalized communities in fear of what they’ll allow him to do to us next. And right now, amongst his many other attacks, he is targeting Section 504. 

Think about this.  Do you have a family member who is a wheelchair user or has a prosthetic?  Who struggles with a mental health issue, is neurodiverse, or with some other disability?  They are being protected by Section 504, a statute first introduced in 1977 that prevents recipients of federal financial assistance from being discriminated against on the basis of disability. It protects disabled people and communities from bias and mistreatment by educational institutions, medical institutions, businesses, and in workplaces. To repeal this would be legalizing disability-based discrimination. It would be Trump announcing who should and shouldn’t be considered desirable or respected in our society. 

But the issue goes beyond Trump and his own power and bleeds into our culture’s power. We are already seeing the resurgence of the R-Slur and new ways in which younger generations are developing discriminatory language and micro aggressions to use against the disabled community. Trump trying to repeal 504 on its own would be terrible, but doing so during a time where even progressive generations are regressing in their views toward disability is terrifying. Yes, Trump might be the one with the power to bar disabled people from having their rights legally protected. But society has the power to enforce and normalize it. The fight for Section 504 wasn’t mounted because society wasn’t complicit, but because it was.

It is the job of everyone, but especially artists, to create the world we wish to see. It is important for us to uplift and unite with our disabled friends and family. This starts with inclusion. It could be illustrators and filmmakers creating responsibly depicted disabled characters. Or visual artists making sure that the language they use to describe their work is accessible. It could be galleries seeking out and making space for disabled artists and artwork. But whatever it is, it has to go back to making sure that the disabled community is respected in our culture. And one of the best ways to make sure people are respected is to make sure they are not ignored, forgotten, and discriminated against, but rather seen, heard, and made space for.