Manifesto – samantharenkeofficial.com

I was born with a rare genetic condition Osteogenesis Imperfecta, more commonly known as Brittle Bones condition, and I am a full-time wheelchair user. I’ve never known life without a disability, yet it has only been in recent years as I have become more involved as a disability rights campaigner that I fully understand and feel pride in my disability identity.

For many years I simply accepted the inequalities and injustices I faced daily as a disabled woman, from microaggressions that infantilised me or the systemic ableism that is still entrenched within our modern-day society, blatant discrimination and frequent breaches of my civil rights left unchallenged, I accepted my fate and place in the world.

One could say that my life prior to activism was a much simpler one as I passively allowed myself to be treated like a second-class citizen and devalued but in doing so, I became part of the problem, I had allowed myself to internalise the ableism around me simply because I was afraid to challenge the system. I was scared to rock the boat.

As a former high school modern languages teacher and special educational needs support assistant I’ve been blessed with the gift of being able to connect with others, allowing them to learn and unlearn. Being a teacher with a disability was an honour as the children not only learnt a new subject they also learned to respect, value and include people with disabilities. My presence in the classroom showed them something they didn’t know could exist and for the other pupils with disabilities under my care, I was a role model, I gave them hope and aspirations for the future.

Disability is not simply a natural phenomenon, it is always influenced by social relations and cultural values. Disabled people throughout history have been feared, excluded, executed and in some cases included.

I’m often asked, what is it like to have a disability in the 21st century? My answer is simply this: I feel like a young child full of energy, hope and imagination. I’m peering through a glass window into a sweet shop. I can see everything that is on offer, all the wonders, the variety and options yet I can’t reach and enjoy any of them. I have to wait for someone to go into the store and buy a bag of sweets on my behalf.

It is important to remember that anyone can become disabled at any time in their lives and the disability community is fastest growing minority.

We all have a part to play to ensure that we change how we view disability instead of seeing it as a bad thing, something that should be out of sight out of mind. We need to nurture and appreciate what disabled people have to offer. We need to engage with the disability community and adopt the ‘nothing about us without us approach’ in everything that we do. We need to understand and implement a Targeted Universalism approach to policy making and we need to listen to disabled voices because we have a lot to say and you have a lot to gain in doing so.

My life as a disability activist started in 2010 when I became a Trustee for the Brittle Bone Society. Since then I have learned much about the disability community and, although I have a physical disability, I am a voice for those who have hidden disabilities, chronic pain, those who are neurodiverse or have learning disabilities. I engage with my community daily and through my platform as a public figure, broadcaster, journalist, actress and presenter. I am able to implement positive change, challenge and call out inequalities. I also spend time talking to my non-disabled peers, encouraging them to be strong allies and to increase knowledge, understanding and confidence around disability.

Samantha’s Manifesto

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