I'm not celebrating the ADA this year. I'm mourning the continued deaths of disabled people at the hands of our parents, caregivers, peers, and strangers.

I'm recognizing the continued exclusion of multiply marginalized disabled people from the mainstream disability community. I'm angry at the continued exclusion of those with developmental and psychiatric (psychosocial) disabilities from disability spaces, funding, and inclusion.

I'm protesting:

-The fact that 30 years later, it's still hard as hell to get a ramp in your home, especially one that is well-made and suitable.

-That it's impossible to get in all public spaces for people with wheelchairs and other mobility devices.

-That so many people with a variety of disabilities lack simple access to the things we need that could make our lives so much easier

-That it is impossible for Deaf/HOH people to get interpreters and other assistive devices to help with communication everywhere, especially in places like hospitals when giving birth or in jail, and that disparities in care are even worse for Deaf Black and IPOC folks.

-That the continued exclusion of disabled people in Hollywood perpetuates stereotypes and harm that create long-term mistreatment, abuse, lack of accessibility, and lack of true understanding of disabled people, and what we have to go through in an ableist world.

-That when disabled characters and stories do exist that the stories only revolve around disability, accepting disability, not accepting disability, finding disability to be a burden, and/or

reminding nondisabled people that they are so lucky to not be disabled because our lives almost always end in death or despair.

-That disabled characters that do exist are primarily white, primarily cisgender, primarily heterosexual if they have any sexuality at all, and typically male.

-That LGBTQIA disabled characters barely exist at all, despite the fact that LGBTQIA folks are more likely to be disabled due to the high amount of health disparities caused by bullying, mistreatment, abuse, etc.

which can cause higher rates of chronic health and psychosocial disability (especially anxiety, depression, and trauma-based disability).

-That Black disabled people typically only exist on shows with Black showrunners and rarely in other media.

-That Indigenous folks and other people of color who are disabled are rarely present at all in media.

-That the majority of characters about us are played by non-disabled actors, many of whom have won awards for these stories that are often harmful and inaccurate. They can benefit from our stories, and not include us.

-That disabled kids who are multiply marginalized in any of the ways listed above have probably never seen themselves represented in media ever. This can impact their self-esteem, self-image, and idea of self-worth

thinking they are the only person like themselves alive in this world... A lonely thought I endured throughout my own childhood and can attest to the pain it causes.

-That I cannot marry my girlfriend after almost 18 years together. After we raised a son and have been through so much. So many disabled people are in the same situation.

We can lose our healthcare or our disability or other services and programs that help keep us alive. So we don't get married. We don't have that freedom.

It's been 30 years of fighting to stay alive, against an ableist system that ensures people want to kill us just for existing, people find us burdens just for existing,

and not even doctors or hospitals or those meant to care for us and love us are safe. In fact, many of them are the most dangerous people for us.

I am mourning the fact that I have so many friends that have died, often by things that could have been prevented by a better healthcare system that values disabled lives or at the hands of

better caregivers and medical providers, who found us burdensome and our death was the way to alleviate that burden.

I am mourning the fact that disabled people continue to be excluded from all aspects of society.

Sure there are small gains for certain disabled people, but until we include all disabled people – people of all races, people with all kinds of disability, people of all genders and gender identities,

with all sexualities, and all cultural or religious identities. We must include everyone or no one truly succeeds.

The ADA is 30 years old and what do we really have in this world that is still broken, ableist, and hates so many of us who don't conform to what society thinks a person should be simply because we exist in disabled bodies?

The ADA is not enough. Let's not settle. We MUST fight for more.