Letter to the Editor: The County Clerk Chappell's Apology Wasn’t for Those with Disabilities
Life as a person with disabilities means a life of navigating in a world as an afterthought. This is more than parking spots and stairs. We are taught that when we request participate anywhere with equity we must take into consideration how we make people *feel* about it. We are taught that we are an inconvenience or burden. Nothing illustrates this better than the non-apology offered by our County Clerk, Ms Chappell. All I see is how bad she feels about being thought of poorly. How she really does care about us poor little disabled folk. Lacking is an apology to us or accountability that she and her whole staff will take sensitivity training.
" Regardless of their disabilities" is in fact a very ableist statement. As a person with disabilities, member of the Lexington Human Relations Commission, and disability rights advocate I suggest the County Clerk Staff get some sensitivity training. Yes, it was one person mocking the mannerisms of a person with disabilities, but the staff was laughing.
We deserve dignity and respect "regardless of our disabilities."
It is my understanding that a state agency is trying to reach out to that office to offer sensitivity training. They say the office is not returning their calls? Why is that? With Disability Pride Month coming up in July, now would be a great time to make every attempt to train on this subject.
One huge thing that can come from such training is an apology to the people that the whole staff (again, not just that one person) offended. Or at the very least why the behavior and the non-apology misses understanding the impact to the very people mocked.
Looking at all the comments on Ms. Chappell's Facebook post I see a lot of moms and caregivers who feel seen and heard, but I think I might be the only person with a disability who has chimed in. Great! Make nicey nice with persons who don't have disabilities, but yet we remain marginalized and infantilized. We have a saying in our movement. Nothing about us without us. This apology falls short if it doesn't address specifically the people it hurt. This is not an apology. It was an explanation and excuse about how Ms Chappell was seen and impacted. It has nothing to do with the people it hurt the most. It has everything to do with how she is hurt because her and her staff's behavior was called out.
Pamela "Kelly" McAfee
President ~NCDP Disability issues Caucus
Community Outreach ~Grassroots Dems HQ
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