 Disabled people are whole people with life experiences and internal experiences composed of our own thoughts, sensations, emotions, and perceptions

University of Wisconsin - Madison

1. Intersectionality
2. Leadership of Those Most Impacted
3. Anti-Capitalist Politics
4. Cross-Movement Organizing
5. Recognizing Wholeness
6. Sustainability
7. Commitment to Cross-Disability Solidarity
8. Interdependence
9. Collective Access
10.Collective Liberation

10 Principles of Disability Justice 

Berne, Patty. " Disability Justice - a Working Draft." Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility (blog), June 9, 2015. https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/disability-justice-a-working-draft-by-patty-berne.

10 Principles of Disability Justice

Intersectionality examines the experiences of people who are experiencing discrimination on the basis of two or more marginalized identities at the same time, and how this differs from experiencing discrimnination on the basis of these identities individually.  Because of this depending on context, we all have areas where we experience privilege, as well as areas of oppression

For example, the stereotypes or preconceived notions held about black women are not merely a combination of those held about black people and those held about women, but a unique intersection of racism and sexism that black women experience differently from either black men or white women.

Intersectionality

When discussing and combatting systems of oppression we should uplift and center those who are most impacted by the systems we are fighting against to keep ourselves grounded in real-world problems and find creative strategies for resistance. 

Leadership of Those Most Impacted 

Disability justice can only grow into its potential as a movement by aligning itself with other movements working for justice and liberation. This means challenging white disability communities around  other forms of oppression and challenging other movements to confront ableism.

 Cross-Movement Organizing

Recognizing Wholeness

"We learn to pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long-term. We value the teachings of our bodies and experiences, and use them as a critical guide and reference point to help us move away from urgency and into a deep, slow, transformative, unstoppable wave of justice and liberation."

Sustainability in Disability Justice 

One cannot holistically advocate for Disability Justice or Disability Liberation without advocating in a way that fully acknowledges and works on behalf of all of those with disabilities - included those with disabling conditions that are not traditionally thoughts of as disabilities (e.g. people with environmental injuries and chemical sensitivities), and those who do not identify with disability or consider themselves as disabled. 

Commitment to Cross-Disability Solidariity

The belief that the liberation of all living systems and the land as integral to the liberation of our own communities. We work to meet each other’s needs as we build toward liberation, without always reaching for state solutions which inevitably extend state
control further into our lives.

Interdependence 

Disabled people all create and explore ways of doing things beyond able-bodied and neurotypical norms. We most articulate our own access needs and dedicate ourselves to meeting those of others, as we share responsibility for our access needs.

Collective Access

We must work for the liberation of all both for its inherent good but also to ensure our own liberation.

Collective Liberation 

From a disability justice perspective, capitalism is critiqued for its emphasis on wealth accumulation and competition, which often marginalizes disabled individuals. This critique argues that capitalist systems define labor and productivity according to able-bodied, neurotypical standards, rendering the contributions of many disabled people invisible or devalued. It posits that an individual's worth should not be contingent on their capacity for production within a competitive framework.

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