Piss on pity
Disability Arts Movement
The T-shirt with the slogan ‘Piss on Pity’ by Sue Elsegood* is a bold statement that should provoke a debate. Why do we feel pity for disabled people? Why do we assume disability defines people? Shouldn’t we see beyond the person’s disability? We still use phrases that are patronising – ‘she must be so brave’ or ‘he’s so inspiring’.
Do we genuinely feel pity or it’s an attempt to cover up our intimidation, misplaced advice and fear?
Disabled people do not need pity – what they really want is a change of conversation and social inclusion.
*The T-shirt can be found amongst 3,500 objects in The National Disability Arts Collection and Archive (NDACA). The unofficial slogan began the movement to fight against social perceptions of disabled people.
Viola
