Kylie Brooks

Hello, my name is Kylie Brooks and I am honored to have been invited by Sarah Jama to speak here. So this is my first keynote speech ever, please bear with me! What I say and what I write on paper might be a little different.

I am from Toronto and I want to acknowledge that Toronto is Indigenous land – the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Mississauga New Credit First Nation peoples.

So… why do we need this new organization? Some of you may be wondering what disability justice is and why it is necessary. Some of you may be disabled and you may be feeling frustrated regarding the discrimination against us – called ableism – that exists right now in society. Society is not accessible, and the attitudes of many people towards disability are not great. Wasn’t having rights in law supposed to help us? Indeed, others here may be thinking that we should be grateful that we have disability rights.

Well, I am here to tell you that disability rights is not enough. A few examples of this… Let’s start with institutionalization, but I just want to back up here and expand on what ableism is first.

Abled people have specific views about us disabled people due to being told to have these views by their family, media (TV, magazines, the Internet, etc), dominant religion, schools, governments, doctors, police officers, and so on. These views are called ableism. One view they have is that we are inherently incapable and dependent on them. As a result, many disabled people were placed into segregated institutions in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We were housed out of sight and out of mind, and abled abuse of us in those institutions was rampant.

We advocated for us to no longer be in those institutions and for these institutions to be permanently closed. How this happened was through legislation. I am genuinely proud to never have experienced those institutions that I just discussed. Some people consider group homes as similiar, however, and I need to learn more about those views.

In relation to that, I was in a group home from age 14 to 21 and I want to honestly say that the environment there was alright. However care by staff cannot replace much needed parenting, and nothing significant really happened at the group home to include ASL or deaf culture. Only a few staff there signed very well – the basic signing most staff learned was not sufficient for a 24/7 environment in which I was a teenager.

So, after 7 years there, I moved to where I live in Toronto, in an apartment that staff come to in order to support me. That whole thing was also established with legislation. Yet here too, quality falls short. Some staff touch my hair (!!!). Most staff are audist towards me by only talking to me – lipreading is inaccurate most of the time. No one knows ASL.

So, let’s think about accessibility. Is that working? Well, judge for yourself with this example. So, there is a smaller company that is similar to Wal-Mart called Giant Tiger. A while ago, I went to a nearby store close to me. Everything was fairly accessible when inside but the entry experience was very awkward, requiring entry between poles that were positioned very close to each other, not fitting wheelchairs. They only fit ambulatory people. The saving grace was that they were movable, but only by staff. When I emailed the manager about this and requested changes including a meeting to show them the issue and a timeline, the manager replied that they had recently renovated the store and follow applicable legislation. I haven’t went back.

Lastly, have you heard what the government in this province has been doing? Well, they cut the annual increase for people on ODSP and OW from 3% to 1.5%. They cancelled the Basic Income pilot, with the last payment to be made in March 2019. I am fairly privileged in this regard in that I can work and am a student on OSAP, but what about those who can’t? We must stop valuing only people who can work, we must value all people regardless of ability to contribute.

The examples I have told you are about the attitudes of abled people. These must be dealt with in order for ableism to end. Legislation and accessibility are not magic bullets that make our lives better as disabled people.

Another thing to think about here… Disabled people exist in every identity you can possibly think of. Disabled people are:

Black, Indigenous, People of color
poor
queer
trans
immigrants, documented or not, refugees
deaf, hard of hearing
not christian – e.g. Muslim

Unfortunately, disabled people with these identities get ignored all the time. People only care about the disabled person that is white, well off, straight, cis, citizen, hearing, and so on. This must stop! Ultimately, we must create a new world where there is no oppression. This requires that each of us look at our attitudes and work towards changing them. We must look at our actions and decisions – are these helping to create a world with no ableism and no oppression? If not, we must change them. All positive actions and decisions – not just participating in protests – are helpful towards that goal. These need to go beyond just talk and show that we truly accept all disabled people of all identities, not only white disabled people, citizen disabled people, hearing disabled people, et cetera. Also, we are going to have to challenge each other to change.

Let’s face it, some of these actions and decisions will require some of us to give up power that we hold dear. Money if you have a lot of it. Ultimately, no disabled person is free until all disabled people are free.

We need to deal with the fact that Canada is a white country run by white people for the benefit of white people. The future of Canada will require some deep reflection and centering of the Indigenous people who the land occupied by Canada actually belongs to.

Last but not least, we must set up a different economic system to the one that exists right now in Canada – capitalism. People are required to work, otherwise they are not seen as human. Plus, if they are poor, they are not allowed to enjoy life by buying what are seen as “luxuries.” And if you can’t work, you don’t get much money right now here in Ontario – a lot of your income goes to rent as a result and you can’t really live on the rest of your money. So only people with a lot of money are entitled to a good life? Everyone is entitled to a good life!

I have just outlined basic things involved in disability justice. This is a much needed journey to begin doing today and everyday, all our lives hang in the balance! I hope you have a great time tonight!

Today, Doug Ford became Premier. So, I just now emailed Lisa MacLeod, the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, to request a commitment from her to implement a groundbreaking report on ODSP and OW that will change the lives of people on ODSP and OW if implemented:

From: kylie.marie.brooks@gmail.com

To: lisa@lisamacleod.com

Subject: Request to implement ODSP/OW improvements

From:

Kylie Brooks

[address elided]

To:

Lisa MacLeod

Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

80 Grosvenor St
Hepburn Block
6th Floor
Toronto ON M7A 1E9
Canada

Dear Minister Lisa MacLeod:

I am on ODSP, I receive only $820 a month. After my bills are paid, the only way I can survive is to draw upon my savings that come primarily from OSAP. Without these savings, I would have basically nothing left to live on. This is unacceptable, and sadly this situation is experienced by most on ODSP and OW. Ontario can afford to pay people on ODSP and OW more.

At the Debate on Accessibility and Disability Issues, the PC, NDP, Liberals and Green Party were asked how each party would, if elected, reduce poverty for low income working people with disabilities and people with disabilities using OW or ODSP. The response from the PC Party – represented by Christine Elliot, who was running for a seat in her riding, Newmarket-Aurora – was basically to repeat her party’s platform. This was not a substantive response to the question that was raised. (See http://cilt.ca/2018/05/30/full-edited-transcript-and-webcast-available-for-province-wide-parties-debate-on-accessibility-and-disability-issues/ for a transcript.)

I am requesting that you commit to implementing all of the recommendations in “Income Security: A Roadmap for Change” so as to improve the lives on ODSP and OW. No one should be living in poverty, regardless of whether they are working.

Thank you for reading and I am looking forward to this happening.

Yours sincerely,

—

Kylie Brooks

[image: Facebook post by Desiree Raton Laveur, made on February 13 at 12:08am:

Text:

When I read 4 Ways To Get Trans People Out Of Poverty Now as linked from a Facebook post by YM Carrington, frankly I felt that the solutions were inadequate for the purpose of the short term. They are more long term, and they are generally designed for white people. Also they do noit take into account multiple identities than just transness. I also disagree with the conclusion that it will take forever. It doesn’t have to. It can be fixed now.

Money was made up, and should be thought of as accordingly. The methods that were created to put money into the hands of people are just that – made up. They aren’t working. New, workable methods are necessary that recognize the interdependence of human beings and our collective nature.

Following, I list the process that we can immediately stop Black people from having to experience poverty. The exact details can be hashed out by the people that want to do this, but the results should be the uplifting of Black people out of poverty in a way that respects dignity and intersectional realities. This must also be a collective, non-government funded effort and must be fully done by Black people.

Recognizing the reality of employment discrimination and racism against Black people, here are the steps in order of priority:

1. House homeless Black people. Money can be used to house homeless Black people immediately and provide them additional support as needed.
2. Immediate monthly payments. People that can afford to do so must make regular monthly payments to poor Black people. Black people with money must do this. Additionally, white people must do this as part of their reparation obligations. All living costs would be covered by these monthly payments. Payments would be given unconditionally and with no strings attached.
3. Create jobs for Black people. Jobs are beneficial in more ways than just money. Optional jobs can be immediately created and given through asking the individual Black person what they want to do for a job. These jobs would pay at least a living wage, in addition to the monthly payments they would already receive as mentioned in #2. No credentials or certifications required – the only thing required is the desire to work.

All these things can be done starting today. Fundamentally, this requires a shift in how we as individuals conceptualize life, work and money, in terms of reconnecting with the reality that we as humans are interdependent and collective beings. Each of us as individuals impact each other in the decisions we make every day, little or big.

Dominant rhetoric does not reflect this, but it is time to get with reality: People decide to provide housing, and people decide to provide jobs. It’s not as if these come magically, which it apparently does according to dominant rhetoric.

I’m sure many of you have heard of the pilot that Ontario is going to do on Basic Income. It seems great, but I need to bring two things up for public discussion that I discovered recently,

Recently I came across the Income Security Advocacy Centre’s backgrounder, “Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot Project: What will it mean for people on social assistance?” (Word document)

* Social assistance means Ontario Works (OW, aka welfare) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP, aka disability) together.

In this backgrounder, there are two critical points that I would like to bring up for public discussion. I have not yet seen these be discussed and it is important that these be discussed, because these two points affect Disabled people.

What are these points?

Both points from the backgrounder.

First one is as follows:

Q. Can I get both social assistance and the basic income?
No. People who are selected to apply for the Basic Income Pilot Project will have to decide whether or not to stay on social assistance or go on basic income. If a person decides to go on basic income, they will have to withdraw from social assistance.

Second one:

Q. Which OW or ODSP benefits can I keep if I participate in the basic income pilot, and which will I lose?
The government has said that people who decide to leave OW or ODSP and be part of the Basic Income Pilot Project will be able to keep their drug benefits, and people on ODSP will be able to keep their dental benefits. This is good news, because a lot of people on social assistance rely on these important benefits.

All other benefits available through OW or ODSP will not be kept, including:

• Special Diet Allowance

• Remote communities allowance

• Mandatory Special Necessities (MSN) – including diabetic supplies, medical and surgical supplies, including incontinence supplies, and medical travel

• Vision benefits (i.e., glasses, repairs, exams)

• Hearing aids and other supports, like visual alerting systems

• Service dog benefit

• Assistive devices co-payment coverage

• Employment supports, including the Work-Related Benefit and other benefits

• Up-front child care costs

If you haven’t been arrested yet, it was not because you followed the law. It is solely due to privilege and/or luck.

In lands occupied by colonizers, laws are made by/for them. If they break the law, they can get away with it in various ways.

The colonial terror that us original peoples (Black Africans, Indigenous peoples, etc etc) live through daily as a result of the police is a method of power and control. This terror does not come from our actions or words.

The justification colonizers use is helping us, but they know we were fine before they colonized us. They only want us and our lands.

CW: religion, Bible, and Xtianity

So, today I have been thinking about white people in general. Honestly, I am tired of y’all. I love people in general. And I just want to say that these two are not contradictory. Change needs to happen STAT.

Now, I just want to be very clear before I discuss that further. Millions of ways exist to effect change, you don’t have to be an activist.

So another thing to be clear on, there is a particular definition of love as promoted by white people that sucks and changes nothing. I’m not all about that. Now, I’ll be taking some things from the Bible. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

• I’m not all about: Patience. You white people ask us to be patient. Us Black people, separately, choose to wait. For what though? We get 0. We have been patient for too long. ENOUGH!
• I’m not all about: Kindness. Kindness to White people kills us Black people.
• I’m not all about: Selflessness. Being selfless for white people, is that really necessary? Time to start taking care of ourselves now.
• I’m not all about: Being hard to anger. This world is incredibly anti black, and that needs to change!
• I’m not all about: Forgetting the anti blackness that happens to us ALL. THE. TIME.
• I’m not all about: protecting, trusting in, hoping for and persevering for White people to change. Black people must stop doing that!

What I AM definitely all about: Not delighting in evil and rejoicing in truth.

White people have consistently perpetrated untold amounts of evil for hundreds of years. That is the truth, and that evil needs to stop. This evil has been perpetrated upon various Original Peoples of the world, including but not limited to the peoples who founded humanity: African people and their descendants, of which I am one. African people are the Orignal people of all humanity.

So, change needs to begin happening. As such, much must be demanded of y’all White people. Demand, not request. As I said, kindness is killing us, and we must do this or y’all will eventually wipe us out. And that’s not humanity…

My demands:

1. I demand that y’all pay reparations of all kinds – not only money – to us. Reparations for stolen labour. Give us things. Etc. In other words, we get to live for what amounts to free.
2. I demand that you abolish the police and figure out better ways to keep everyone safe. Because the cops aren’t it.
3. I demand that you learn about anti blackness and that you work to eventually remove anti blackness from your people, European ppl.
4. I demand that you abolish prison and figure out better ways to deal when someone does something immoral. Prisons are anti black.
5. I demand that you abolish race, which leads to the evil that you caused and continue to cause globally. From mind and society.
6. I demand that you stop feeling entitled to emotional labour from Black people.
7. I demand that you be accountable to Black people to carry out these demands.
8. I demand that you learn about other oppressions and work to abolish them as well. No one is free until we all are free.
9. I demand that you stop saying that we are suffering bc of our choices and start saying that we are suffering bc of you.
10. I demand that you begin working on any of these or some of these or anything related in whatever way you can. There are literally millions of ways you can help. Also, if you stop thinking only about your resources, other people can help too.

If you refuse to participate yourself in whatever way you can and you refuse to ask for help, I do not want to be your friend. Because nothing is worth the loss of African people from the planet that all humans call home.

Here in Toronto, there is a lack of hearing and Deaf ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters with differing identities and that is not okay.

ASL interpreters are only people – lived experience affects our human ability to understand information. ASL interpreters cannot be completely neutral. What they can do is pass on messages between two other people.

This gap means that the existing ASL interpreters cannot communicate effectively as they do not understand what is being said.

For example, should I expect a straight ASL interpreter to understand me when I talk about queer issues? Is that realistic? (There are exceptions of course, but I am not talking about the exceptions.)

Black students in interpreter programs like at George Brown College in Toronto are often marginalized from the program, as such very few students graduate from the program.

Regarding this, as an example I was once in the Social Service Worker program at Seneca College for a semester before I quit. All the hearing interpreters I used were White. Can a white interpreter really interpret for an entire profession that was created by Black women? A lot of students in the classes I took were not white. Can a white interpreter effectively interpret between me and them???

Think about that.

What you’re paying for when you hire a musician

Description of the image in the link:

[Image: Title “Hiring a musician? Or asking them to perform at your event?”

What you think you’re paying for:

– Someone to perform some music

What you are actually paying for:

– Someone to perform some music, plus:
– Equipment and instruments.
– Hours of rehersal time.
– Rehersal space.
– Transportation to and from the venue.
– The amount of money spent on lessons and training to become the musicians that they are.
– Promotion and website costs.
– The percentage that goes to income taxes.
– Telephone and internet bills spent organizing the performance and its rehersals.
– Any manager, agent, or other booking fees.
– Insurance.

Not to mention…

– The payment also has to cover food, housing, bills, and all other living expenses.

Still think that offering “exposure” and experience is a fair price?

You wouldn’t expect a plumber, carpenter, hairdresser, doctor, dentist, optician, electrician, chef, mechanic, dressmaker or shop owner to work for free, would you?

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