In order to achieve social change for people with disability, non-disabled people are going to have to step up and be a critical part of the journey, writes Weh Yeoh.

In order to achieve social change for people with disability, non-disabled people are going to have to step up and be a critical part of the journey, writes Weh Yeoh.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.

We want to change the world, but we rarely talk about how best to do it. Courtesy of a recent study cited in New Scientist, here is one way in which we can better advocate for equal rights in disability - have more non-disabled people as the face of disability advocacy.

This might come as a surprise to you and may even provoke reactions of defensiveness. How on earth could I be suggesting that it should be non-disabled people, rather than people with disabilities, as the visible advocates for equal rights? Primarily, it is because research suggests that it is the messenger who is crucial in creating change, perhaps even more so than the message itself.
 

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