Many questions right now on Twitches decision to remove "Blind walk through," as a tag on the basis of ableism. –a thread

Disability identity and the way we engage with our existence is complex. There is no necessarily true or right way to conceptualize ones identity, but the question of disability as metaphor is an important one. 1/

I choose to identify as blind, though I am low-vision because I am not ashamed of my blindness; etymologically blind makes more sense to me than visually impaired; and there is a sense of commonality within the shared experience. Others prefer visually impaired, and thats ok. 2/

The important part of self identification is the dignity and respect from the other, in the way which we choose to identify. Maintaining our autonomy is key–as we engage with the world and barriers internally and externally. 3/

For me, the barrier to integration isn't my disabled identity, the barrier is societies conceptualization of what my identity means in engagement with the world. In a sense, the heart of Elizabeth Barnes' mere difference V. bad difference discussion. 4/

In 2015, I was told "…you cannot possibly believe that disability, in of itself, does not maintain inherent, necessary degradation to ones wellbeing." I still assert Barnes' premise to be true. 5/

In my short life, barriers have not existed because I am blind, but instead because of the expectations others have held and the actions which manifest as a result of their beliefs of what must be true because I am blind. 6/

Modification to my undergrad degree requirements resulting in not being able to attend grad school for philosophy? Rejections on-face for employment? Being lead to believe blind people cannot go to college or become software engineers? 98.!% of all the web having #a11y issues? 7/

All of these have one thing in common: what people believe is possible for disabled persons. The scary thing? In most cases, this is not malicious or accidental, but ingrained. 8/

The idea that "Blind play through" is offensive fails to capture the nuance of the feelings some have–I am not offended, though I would prefer the term to not be used in this way. Blindness as metaphor is a complex topic with lots of literature. I cant do it justice here. 10/

The point is relating disability to something negative–even if innocently or without conscious association. When we normalize blindness as ignorance, for example, we normalize the belief that blindness is ignorance. Again, rehtoric informs thought, and thought action. 11/

Disabled people can't do X; disabled people wouldn't access by site; "blind people don't go to college…" all of these are built around the epistemic association of disability as bad difference. 12/

Twitch's action isn't about woke culture, it's about cognition, association, and normative deconstruction of harmful conceptualization. We must think about what we say; how we think; and what we do. Inclusion isn't hard, it’s the right thing to do. 13/

It starts with little actions, which continue to build. No fish is too small to fry; merely what spoons do we have in a given moment. It starts with you; it starts with me. It starts with each of us. Thank you, twitch and able gamers for taking this step. /end

This is why twitch's action is good; not that the label was offensive—debatable—but because of the epistemic impact disability as metaphor has on our conceptualization of the world. Rhetoric influences thought, and thought influences action. 9/