Thread by @SeeMiaRoll

This morning, let’s go down a little straw rabbit hole and talk about how a #StrawBan could affect disabled people. #SuckItAbleism

Straws, especially bendy straws, were invented to help ppl take medicine & help patients in hospitals drink liquids. The plastic straw was sterile, tolerate hot/cold liquids, & stood up to biting/chewing/fidgeting Disabled ppl do w/o cutting their mouths. #SuckItAbleism

Nondisabled ppl also found them extremely handy (accessibility tools often become integral parts of society including ramps, elevators, and electric doors). So, the straws became ubiquitous in everyday life. #SuckItAbleism #StrawBan

Then came this poor sea turtle who got a straw stuck in its nose (our mothers always warned us abt the hazards of sticking things up our noses). There was a video of someone pulling it out & it pulled on the heartstrings of every person that had a pulse. #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

So a brilliant 10-year-old decided to do an online survey to try to figure out how many straws humans usually use. She did some math and gave an estimation. Environmental groups grabbed on to that estimate and ran with it with a vengeance. #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

The only problem was, no one talked to the people the straws were meant for in the 1st place. We begin to see articles & blogs abt the amazing amt of straws we throw away each yr. Not 1 person went to a disabled person & said, hey, what abt these straws? #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

When the disability community comes out & asks ppl to rethink their straw strategy, we r often told just how many other opts we have available. When we negate these options for various reasons, ppl will then throw the options at us agn like their novel. #StrawBan #SuckItAblelism

Paper straws- disintegrate quickly, no hot liquids, weird texture
Compostable straws- allergies, sometimes disintegrate quickly, hot liquids issue
Reusable- hard to clean, have to carry (may forget), not suitable for ppl w/ epilepsy, spasms, hot liquids issue #SuckItAbleism

A new study showed that fishing nets are actually the biggest water plastic polluters. I literally saw someone’s response to this as: “Well no one is going to stop eating fish.” #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

Other responses include, ‘The #StrawBan is easier for people to implement in their daily lives.’ I ask, easier for whom? #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

This is what will literally happen with a #StrawBan. I say this from knowing how nondisabled ppl deal with accessibility issues: #SuckItAbleism

1) Groups will encourage restaurants to stop giving straws out. When disabled people protest, they rewrite their policies and only give straws on demand. #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

2) Restaurants will either make a financial v. Justice v. Effort analysis. Some may continue to stock straws, but many will feel like it’s too much of a pain and forget to stock them or stop stocking them. #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

3) A disabled person who needs a straw will get to a restaurant: a) staff workers may question person’s need for straw b) person may feel socially shamed for needing one c) restaurant may not have straw, or d) the straw they have is the wrong kind. #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism

4) Disabled people will just stop going out with their friends and family, loosing community and basically being segregated because society doesn’t feel that the needs of disabled people are important enough because of some #StrawBan argument. #SuckItAbleism

https://twitter.com/seemiaroll/status/1018963504156561409?s=21

https://twitter.com/seemiaroll/status/1018492501051805696?s=21

And the denouement of this #StrawBan #SuckItAbleism thread:

https://twitter.com/seemiaroll/status/1019628519708643328?s=21

PS: what @sesmith said 👇🏼:

https://twitter.com/sesmith/status/1020686745581498368?s=21