Breaking Barriers with Jada Yang: Shining a Light on Mental Health and Disability Inclusion
A disability activist's inspiring journey emphasizes the need for education, accessibility, and empathy to create a truly inclusive and equitable world for all.
In the wake of the pandemic, there has been a rise in concern for mental health. As health officials tirelessly spread awareness about the current suicides and depression trends, communities are being called upon to step up and foster positive mental environments. However, amidst the spotlight on mental health, many overlook the struggles of the rest of the disability spectrum. For society to stride towards inclusion, we must acknowledge the long history of ableism faced by those with physical and mental disabilities.
In June, I had the privilege to talk to disability activist Jada Yang, the founder of Mission for Mobility, a youth-led initiative focused on empowering the voices of people with mobile disabilities. Following her premature birth, Jada was diagnosed with Spastic Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disconnect between her foot muscles and brain that harms her development in mobility function. During our interview, Jada shared that her family and friends inspired her to create Mission for Mobility, as they provided her with a strong support system growing up. When facing her internalized ableism, the online disabled community taught her to embrace her conditions. “It is worrisome to me that people have shared my experiences (of discrimination). Just for me, being aware that this type of ideology (ableism) exists through my interactions with people definitely inspired me to take action against it or bring awareness to it,” she said.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) defines disability as people with physical and mental impairment. Disability culture surrounds the idea of sharing a common history of prejudice and a bond of resilience. According to the World Health Organization, 16% of people worldwide deal with significant disability, making it a global topic of discussion and a root of identity for many. A lot of those in the disabled community face internalized ableism. Jada shares that when fighting her own internalized discrimination, she found others facing the same difficulties. The lack of understanding of disability culture is significant. When addressing disability culture at her high school, Jada faced backlash and comments disagreeing with her that disability culture is a culture.
When we leave out disabled studies from our education, people will remain oblivious to issues surrounding ableism and disability. Society will continue to allow harmful stereotyping through ignorance. Jada mentioned that the only times she has heard of history relating to disability are the ADA Act of 1990 and killings rooted in ableism during the Holocaust. However, only a few colleges, such as Berkeley and UCLA, offer disability studies as minors. These courses teach students how disability plays into equity, law, and ethics. Jada stressed the need for more education on disability culture so fewer people are oblivious to ableism and the lack of accessibility structures.
According to Inclusive City Maker, there are 39 million Americans with mobile disabilities. When schools, apartment buildings, and other structures lack accommodations, they unconsciously suspend resources from these 39 million Americans. Jada talked about how if resources are not accessible to all, society will never reach true equality. Even though most buildings are ADA-compliant, compliance is the bare minimum of accommodation. When companies and communities do not look above the bare minimum, it is impossible to reach full accessibility.
In diverse communities, we often struggle with anticipating everyone’s needs. We overlook certain issues and conflicts not because we are discriminatory, but because we are ignorant. Racism, sexism, and ableism are challenges that people such as Jada Yang have to approach because of the way they were born. As a woman of color, I too share experiences of ignorance leading to discrimination. Jada is a noble example of how to move society toward better inclusion. No matter if it's ableism, racism, or sexism, as we continue to advocate and educate about equity, we help build a more equitable space for all to share.
Way to go JADA! You've opened my eyes! I'm going to share this with my family and friends.
Lets go jada