Discourse about the use of PWD IDs has been going around lately due to an insensitive post from a company and increasing ableist sentiment, and we’d like to hear your take.
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If you’ve been anywhere online the last week or so, you would have seen the discourse surrounding the abuse of fake PWD (Person with Disability) ID cards, particularly for restaurant discounts. It stemmed from recent PSAs about the increasing use of fake PWD ID cards as well as a post from restaurant group Lowbrow Casual Restaurants that sparked major backlash because of its ableist language and approach to addressing such concerns.
Lowbrow has since posted an apology, but they will forever be an example of how many people still believe that there’s a “standard” for being a PWD—that certain disabilities, especially visible ones, rank higher than others in terms of what they “deserve”.
While yes, there are people out there who take advantage of the privileges granted to those with PWD IDs by using fake ones, from parking to discounts, and while the proliferation of such fake IDs do harm small businesses and establishments, turning to ableism and blaming individuals with different disabilities is a tone-deaf, counterintuitive response that only perpetuates the stigma surrounding disability.
This controversy and ensuing discourse led to calls for establishments to be more sensitive when dealing with issues that cause them problems, and for a better and more efficient identification system for PWDs.
Now, we want to hear from you. If you’re itching to give your two cents about the statement the restaurant group posted, or the general discourse surrounding PWD IDs, or even the state of PWD care and systems in the Philippines (Lord knows how much there needs to be said about it all), but don’t know where to put any of it, we’re giving you the mic—let us know your thoughts on this whole thing.
NOW, YOU GOT THE MIC 🎤
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