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Dr. Bethany: Culture Critic & Disability Educator

@disabethany

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* Shift from disability shame to celebration
* Learn about disability history, pride, and politics
* Connect: [email protected]

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Caring about disability rights...

A newly released Department of Justice memo signaled a governmental move to deny Disabled people the right to in-home community care.

NO ONE should be held in carceral spaces - warehouses of marginalized and scapegoated - like institutions, 🧊, jails,prisons and institutions.

Institutions are not caring spaces. They are often filled with deplorable conditions and abuse.

Racism always makes these already crap conditions even more t0rt0us and ☠️

Organize, inform yourself and others.

Follow @aapdofficial and @newdisabledsouth

Description: Bethany is seated in her manual chair in front of a large window. She talks into her mic will rocking the most fab purple feather skirt, a black tank, and silver heels. As usual, she is wearing her wearing @lovecrave Vesper. A text title reads: if you care about Disabled people, please watch. (Possibly the most important I’ve made)” by @disabethany

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3 months ago

Part 1: Disability leader & elder talk

Anita Cameron has been fighting for disability rights and disability justice since 1986! Right now, Anita is traveling the nation working on a documentary about Black peoples' leadership and engagement with disability organizing from the beginning of the national movement.

She's worked with @realnatladapt and @notdeadyet_life resisting state neglect and violence.

I'm excited to share with you. Consider supporting Anita's work V€nmo: @ anitacameron746

Description: Bethany is a white little person sitting in her power wheelchair outside. She's seated next to disability elder Anita Cameron, a Black queer Disabled person (she/they). The two are seated in their wheelchairs next to each other closely to be in frame. Random people pass behind them. A text title reads: "Anita has been arrested 140x fighting for disability rights." taken in Decatur, Georgia by @disabethany

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6 hours ago

Disability is personal, even for you

Description: Bethany is seated in her manual wheelchair in front of a large window. She's wearing a black skirted dress and a blue and white furry coat. Bethany completes the look with bright blue shoes and a silver vesper by @lovecrave. A white text title reads "to leftist who don't care about disability..." by @disabethany

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a day ago

Do you remember... September!

NYFW - New York Fashion Week

All of the crap + I love WAVs!

Description: A compilation of clips showing accessibility challenges with transit, navigating the streets, and flying re: New York City and wheelchair wandering. Throughout the compilation, the text reads:

"This week i traveled to NYC for NYFW.

It was not an easy journey. let me tell you about it.

Along the way, I faced constant obstacles as a Disabled person.

Pat-downs and bag searches by TSA because of my mobility devices, which caused serious delays.

Cabs I called that weren’t accessible as promised.

Roads I couldn’t travel on. Places I could not enter.

I had to downgrade my hotel room because the one they gave me was not accessible due to the bathroom doors.

Instead of a typical 20-minute trip, it took 5 hours to get home from the airport because of a broken elevator.

Mid-bus ride to the station, the driver told me I was going the wrong way and to cross the street to wait for another bus. that was the wrong bus, so I completed the hour loop before reaching the train home.

Traveling is tiring as it is, but the majority of people don’t have to think about these obstacles.

I refuse to stop traveling and experiencing the world because I’m Disabled." taken in New York City by @disabethany

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2 days ago

Honor multiple types of disability

Honor intersectionality in our large community.

We are truly a diverse group of people because disability is in every sector of humanity.

Anyone can join at any moment, and the majority of people who live long enough will gain a disability.

We’re in every race, class, sexu@lity, gender, political affiliation, religious leaning, etc.

Pitting yourself against other Disabled people is using the oppressor’s tools - which will never truly liberate us to dismantle that house of norms!

We are comrades in the same struggle.

You will not get better treatment because of an obvious marker of disability.

Thank you for joining me in this conversation! Can’t wait to read your thoughts! Love y'all 💜

Description: purple background with a faint outline of Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel with white text of the above caption. @disabethany is at the bottom of each square. by @disabethany

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3 days ago

Many pieces of advice I have

This info could be a series; interested??

Add your advice to this post! ⚖️

Description: Bethany is seated in her manual wheelchair in front of a large window. She’s wearing a purple skirt, a purple pillbox hat with a brooch, a black long-sleeve top with lace at the shoulders, black heels, and a silver Vesper by Crave. A white text title reads: “My advice for grad school… It’s not what you think.”

#PhDadvice #GraduateSchool #AcademicExcellence #Learning by @disabethany

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4 days ago

‼️STOP SCROLLING + PLEASE SHARE‼️ If you’re not Disabled, I need you to pay attention to what’s happening with Section 504 right now. This is one of those moments where we need non-Disabled people to actually show up for us.

Section 504 is one of the foundational civil rights protections for Disabled Americans. And, on September 23, a federal judge struck down specific provisions in the 2024 Section 504 regulations protecting community integration (preventing institutionalization + segregation)

In normal words: community integration means Disabled people should be able to receive the services and support we need in our communities instead of being unnecessarily segregated or institutionalized.

Yes. We are still fighting about this in 2026.

To be VERY clear: Section 504 itself was not overturned. Olmstead still stands. The ADA still exists, but losing explicit federal regulations protecting community integration is still a massive deal.

So, I reached out to the president of @aapdofficial because I wanted to know what we can actually DO instead of just screaming into the void.

The biggest call to action right now:

‼️Get governors and attorneys general to publicly commit to protecting community integration and Olmstead.‼️

18 governors have already committed:

AZ, CT, DE, IL, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OR, PA, RI, WA & WI.

If you live in one of these states: THANK THEM.

If you don’t: contact your governor and attorney general.

‼️We should have all 50.‼️

And please TALK ABOUT THIS.

Disabled people should not have to single-handedly defend our civil rights every time they’re threatened while everyone else waits to see if the story becomes interesting enough to care about.

Disability rights are not some niche issue that will never affect you.

Disability is a natural spectrum of the human condition and happens to almost everyone!

The community you help keep accessible for us today may be the community that keeps you independent tomorrow. by @disabethany

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4 days ago

We're out queers & 💜 films

We watched Tip Toe, a new show starring @alancummingreally. It's a delightful first episode with political awareness and queer joy front and center.

Description:

1) Bethany is seated in black travel power wheelchair (@whill_us) in front of the step and repeat for Atlanta's LGBTQ+ Fim Festival - Out on Film. Bethany's wearing a striped black and white 504 Kangol hat, clear glasses, purple sneakers, a purple scarf, and jeans on.

2) Bethany and Sara are posed in front of the other section of the step and repeat for the same festival.

📸: @sarapalmer4747 🌈💜 taken in Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema by @disabethany

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5 days ago

Black Lives Matter

This story highlights how structural and interpersonal racism fuse to be a brutal system of violence.

Description: Bethany is seated in her power wheelchair in front of the windows. She looks despondent while wearing a Kangol 507 striped blue-and-burgundy hat, a burgundy buttoned cardigan, and black pants. A title in white text reads: “Nolan Xavier Wells did not have water in his lungs.”

#NolanWells #DisabilityJustice #Intersectionality by @disabethany

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6 days ago

New series drop

Description: Bethany is seated in her power wheelchair in front of a café table. She has a delicious iced coffee drink in front of her with some cute little flowers and I'm very small vase. Bethany is wearing a black top with red shorts that have white piping on the sides. Artsy white font reads: "Coffee with" % and artful purple text reads "Dr. Bethany." A subtitle reads: "new series: how to stop hating your body, your mind, and yourself." by @disabethany

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7 days ago

Honor multiple types of disability

Honor intersectionality in our large community.

We are truly a diverse group of people because disability is in every sector of humanity.

Anyone can join at any moment, and the majority of people who live long enough will gain a disability.

We’re in every race, class, sexu@lity, gender, political affiliation, religious leaning, etc.

Pitting yourself against other Disabled people is using the master’s tools - which will never truly liberate us to dismantle that house of norms!

We are comrades in the same struggle.

Cut the sh!t about wishing you had c@ncer or a wheelchair.

It’s rude and bad karma. Don’t play with your words; they are spells.

You will not get better treatment because of an obvious marker of disability.

Thank you for joining me in this conversation! Can’t wait to read your thoughts.

Love y’all 💜

Description: Bethany moves her hands around as she talks while seated in her manual wheelchair. She’s wearing a sheer lace short dress with black shorts and a small purple crop top underneath. Her purple sparkly shoes and a silver Vesper Crave necklace complete the look. A white text title reads: “I don’t think you’re Disabled enough to claim disability.”

#Comrades #Disabled #disability #DisabilityJustice #CrossDisability by @disabethany

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8 days ago

Remember Nolan Xavier Wells (2007-2026)

The real threat of violence from groups of yt folks is something I didn’t know the extent of until this case.

Even friends turn deadly because racism is ingrained in yt people through the socialization of yt suprem@cy. Yes, we can grow into anti-r@cists through deliberate work and engagement with people.

Bystander and family intervention are a part of our work. We can all be doing more to support BIPOC people and #BlackLivesMatter.

Corrections: Nolan Well's parent are heartbroken and seeking justice; there are 3 named yt boys on the boat but 7 or so were reported to Sea Tow.

Description: Bethany is seated outside in her power wheelchair with green plants behind her. She’s wearing a black short-sleeve top and a brown-and-black skirt. Bethany rocks her Kangol 504 Vent Air and her silver vibr@tor necklace. A white text title reads: “Racism is deadly. Nolan Wells should be alive today.”

#DisabilityJustice #racism #NolanXavierWells #NolanWells by @disabethany

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9 days ago