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Publishing needs to walk the talk when it comes to inclusion for the disabled community.
This column is about a tricky subject, rather a taboo one in fact. The word "cripwashing" may make you feel uncomfortable. After all, the c-word is one that we in the disabled community regard as an offensive term. But the meaning behind the term "cripwashing" is one that the 24% of us in the UK who are disabled (the figure comes from the DWP) find very offensive.
You probably know the term :"greenwashing", when companies claim to be environmentally friendly without any evidence. We’ve all heard of the politician who talks about saving the planet but takes a helicopter ride to a meeting instead of a train. Cripwashing describes people and organisations who say they include disabled people but don’t actually do anything to back up their words. "We’re an inclusive employer. We want more disabled people to write or work for us," shout glossy brochures, websites and management spokespersons, but behind the marketing the reality is quite different.
Whether unaware or not, sadly cripwashing is not unknown in the publishing industry. It’s a subject that members of the Society of Authors’ ADCI group (Authors with Disabilities & Chronic Illnesses) often raise. "We’re consulting on", "we’re working towards", "we believe in" … they are all key phrases that sound good, but without sustainable action, targets and commitment to evaluate progress, they are essentially meaningless. It’s all very well saying you want more disabled people to work for you, or attend your event, but if there are stairs to enter your office and no ramp, or your event isn’t hybrid, then it isn’t going to happen, or rather the only disabled people you will attract are those who don’t require any adjustments whatsoever and therefore won’t cost any money, time or effort in changing the dominant corporate culture.
"It’s frustrating seeing how many organisations offering opportunities for underrepresented writers still feel that disabled access means just including an email on their website and expecting disabled people to reach out and ask," explained one ADCI group member, noting that the Inklusion Guide, written by Ever Dundas and Julie Farrell and containing advice on accessibility best practice, has been available online for over a year. "Giving out as much access info as you can upfront shows you’re thinking about how to include someone. It stops every application from becoming the emotional work of having to be vulnerable and ask, of waiting while we wonder if an access request will count against us, and getting our hopes up for an event that may turn out to be inaccessible."
It’s all very well saying you want more disabled people to work for you, or attend your event, but if there are stairs to enter your office and no ramp, or your event isn’t hybrid, then it isn’t going to happen
Even when an opportunity is listed as inclusive it doesn’t necessarily mean it turns out that way. Take the author who was delighted to gain a place on a major publishing company’s scheme for underrepresented writers only to discover the reality was "so much being thoughtlessly inaccessible and with no understanding of how particular or systemic ableism may present … very clear signs they weren’t ready to deal with the reality of working with writers with different disabilities and access needs, they just wanted to be open to the idea". The author went on to say that when they suggested accessibility training they felt they became the problem for pointing out the problem.
A common example disabled writers I spoke to for this piece mentioned was book festivals that advertise as being for everyone but have cut online access and/or Covid-19 anti-transmission measures. One ADCI group member cited a request at a recent book festival, which had taken the decision to curtail hybrid events, for donations to help keep them online and pay for accessibility. This harks back to Victorian notions of asking for charity to support disabled people. "It may have been an inadvertent clumsy thing from one person," the member added, "but it reinforces the idea of access as a luxury and an add-on."
Other experiences told to me included the wheelchair accessible venue that didn’t have an accessible loo (no one thought to check!); the socialising or networking event that those with pain or fatigue weren’t able to attend on top of daily life and were worried they’d miss out on opportunities discussed there; the writing retreat in an inaccessible building; the literary award that stated in their T&Cs that the winner had to attend the awards ceremony (therefore excluding those unable to travel); and the lack of breaks or quiet room for neurodiverse people.
The good news is that many people in publishing are committed to change. What can they do? True inclusion is involving disabled people at every stage and adhering to SMART targets. If you are consulting on a disability plan, when will you report back? Has management agreed to implement recommended changes? What is your deadline for them to happen? Which statistics do you keep to track progress? Is there access information on your website? The list goes on …
We know that cultures, premises, employment contracts and so on can’t change overnight. It takes time, effort, and above all the input of disabled people to work towards an inclusive future. Together we can bin cripwashing for good in publishing and not miss out on the many benefits that giving all people a voice bring.