IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Sulaiman (who is wearing his hooded grey sleeveless casual jacket, his black sunglasses, his salmon coloured shorts, and his fly Adidas sneakers) sits in his power wheelchair outside on the grass surrounded by trees in a local park enjoying the blue skies and amazing sunny weather. He is smiling, and he’s happy as he loves nature (and the outdoors) and the summer sunshine.
Written on 23 April 2020.
Yesterday (22 April), it was #EarthDay! It has me thinking about #MotherNature (and my #sustainable living and impact on the world) and how much I appreciate her. In these scary times, being able to go outside out of choice even into a garden is a luxury that many people (including myself) don’t have and most likely won’t have for a very long time.
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I love nature (especially the ocean) and going into the outdoors too, but sadly I don’t often get to explore it due to ableism and inaccessibility.
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And I have been thinking about the voices not included in the #sustainability/#Climate conversation. #Disabled people, in particular, are left out, even though we care just as much about sustainability as anyone else. For example, plastic straws equate to only about .03 per cent of 8 million metric tons of plastics in oceans per year, and everyone is banning straws, but no one is thinking of life and death real consequences of such actions to disabled people. So, how do we include #disability and other marginalised groups into the conversation and ensure no one is left behind? And there are so many more questions I’ve been thinking about lately and am starting to explore these ideas.
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I don’t have all the answers. I am just using my #privilege to speak for those who can’t. But if like me, you’re disabled and you care about Mother Nature/Sustainability, and you’re not able to go out right now whatsoever (most likely for the foreseeable future), know it’s okay. You’re okay, and your feelings, ideas, solutions, and thoughts are valid. We are needed, our lives matter, we have worth, and we’re valuable.
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Also, we are stewards of our planet, and we must work together in maintaining its sanctity. But remember, this primarily means taking care of each other! Continuing the fight for social #equity IS #EnvironmentalJustice. This #justice is vital to our longterm, shared, holistic and inclusive survival.
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So, we must remember always to be kind (and respect) Mother Nature because she deserves it, but more importantly, we must not forget to always #BeKind to each other.
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This photo is one of my favourites of myself enjoying nature as well, which was taken a few years ago in my local park.
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#EarthDay50 #EarthDay2020 #HealThePlanet #GreatPause#SustainableLiving #GreenEarth #TransformationalJustice#DisabilityJustice #AccessIsLove #InaccessibilityIsViolence