Disabilities Justice and Non-Binary Justice are Intertwined. Here's Why.

The intersection of gender identity and disability produces unique experiences and difficulties that are still being studied, but this particular intersection impacts an estimated 3-5 million Americans (using data from 2017).

There is no study which exclusively looks at the percent of non-binary persons who are also disabled. But, given that an estimated 25% of queer-identifying folx are disabled, and a whopping 40% of trans folx are disabled, it’s safe to say that the percent of non-binary folx who are disabled fall squarely within that 25-40% range - though it could even be more than that. Furthermore, a recent study of five datasets showed that trans and gender non-conforming folx were 3.03-636x more likely to be autistic than cis-gendered people.

The plight of disabled persons as they continue to fight for recognition, accessibility, and bodily autonomy are familiar, albeit in different ways, to the non-binary community. Additionally, many disabilities are invisible in that they don’t “look” like what people think of when they think of disabilities, just as some non-binary persons may not “look” gender-diverse because of how they present or because the person viewing them is making binary assumptions (that they must be one of two genders rather than neither, both, or more). Both communities live in cultures which are not built around their needs and as such, they must continually fight for rights and recognition that able and cis-gendered are granted by default.

Disabled and non-binary communities have another thing in common, too: they both have distinct and powerful perspectives that exist outside of the expected hetero-cis-abled norm, and frankly, the world needs to lift up and hear these voices. Disabled and non-binary persons bring valuable insights, powerful experiences, and important input into the conversation about what it means to be human. Making space for this diversity of perspectives is vital to betterment of life here on earth, for all of us - disabled, non-binary, or not.

Whether you are at the intersection of being disabled and non-binary, fall into only one of those categories, and even if you fall into neither of those categories, let’s make one thing clear: a more accessible and diversity-friendly world is a necessary next step to a better world. Non-binary, abled siblings: stand up for disabled friends, family, partners, even strangers and fight for a more accessible world for those with disabilities.

When oppressive and arbitrary walls fall for one of us, they lower for all of us.

This post was written in collaboration with K. Rogers of the Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming and Allies Student Association of Seattle University School of Law.