Want to Highlight the Cause of an Injustice? Write in the Active Voice.
“Historically underrepresented” — by whom?
In a recent Medium post, my friend Emma Barnes suggested a crucial reframe for making accessibility requests: instead of locating the problem within yourself (or within your disability), phrase your request in a way that draws attention to the inaccessibility of your environment.
For example, instead of saying that you are sensitive to fragrances and can’t share an office with a coworker who’s dripping with Drakkar Noir, simply state that a fragrance-heavy environment disables you.
A reframe like this draws attention to the active party involved. Your sensory system has not done anything wrong or out of the ordinary; it’s just behaved the way that it always does. You as the disabled person don’t need to change. It’s your coworker’s penchant for oakmoss-heavy cologne that is artificial and unnecessary, and your workplace’s lack of ventilation that can be improved.
