In May, LET’S delivered a Disability Awareness workshop to staff at West Coast Environmental Law. The workshop was very well received. The conversations were robust and perspective building. 1 conversation, in particular, stuck with me, regarding a person who is experiencing trauma because of an ongoing genocide is the country they came from, and where family still lives, and how difficult it is to do everyday things when everything else in your world is falling apart. When I spoke about not relying on a diagnosis in order to meet access needs, we spoke about how someone experiencing trauma may not have a diagnosed condition but that doesn’t make them any less traumatized or their mental health any less impacted. Additionally, expecting a traumatized person, particularly those from populations pushed to the margins, to navigate our “ist” system (classist, ableist, racist, etc.) medical system in order to receive a diagnosis just puts more pressure, labour, and expectations on someone already struggling to get through the day.
(Overwhelmed person with low battery.)
Companies must think about the additional barriers and expectations they place on already overloaded people with disabilities and mental health issues.
About West Coast Environmental Law:
“West Coast Environmental Law harnesses the power of law to solve complex environmental challenges.
We are transforming environmental decision-making and strengthening legal protection for the environment through collaborative legal strategies that bridge Indigenous and Canadian law.
By putting the law in the hands of communities and creating legal risk for those who would harm our land, air and water, we are building the collective power to achieve a more just and sustainable future for all.”