By Khanyi Mlaba: For Complete Post, click here…
Social media has helped expose us all to the lived experiences of those around us, people and communities that might live different lives to our own.
While traditional media has typically failed to highlight marginalized voices globally, the accessibility of social media alongside a massive global audience, offers an opportunity for greater inclusivity and a greater insight into the experiences of all people than ever before.
Over the last year and during the pandemic, TikTok has risen to become one of the most beloved social media platforms, and it has brought with it content from people with diverse backgrounds and livelihoods. People with disabilities in particular have been using the platform to help show that while their differences can and must be acknowledged, they do not define them.
This visibility has been an essential message to help dispel a culture of ableism that the world has long been too comfortable with, and to bring awareness to the harmful stereotypes that are often associated with people with disabilities.
Despite there being over one billion people in the world living with a disability, those who are disabled are still overlooked and left behind in global development. People with disabilities are up to 10 times more likely to experience sexual abuse, have a high probability of experiencing police brutality, experience significant struggles finding and securing employment, and depending on the disability, may also have limited accessibility in a world that hasn’t been designed to consider them.