disabilities are NOT FUNNY
i like to think i have a high tolerance for dark humor. you want to make a quip about a crime case, CSI-style? not my thing, but fine, do as you please. but, there's a line that should not be crossed, no matter how high your tolerance: joking about disabilities, both mental and physical.
because disabilities are NOT FUNNY.
i've seen many an internet comment casually use terms related to mental disabilities. you know, terms like, "hyperfixation", "get on meds", "schizo", "ADHD brain", or the dreaded R-word. as if having ADHD, OCD, autism, tourette's, or schizophrenia is soooo funny and quirky you guys! :P well, it's not.
as an artist with autism, i can say for sure that i don't think autism is funny. i'm not on meds, but i do struggle with distractions, overstimulation, nervous tics, and mentally "shutting down". in social situations, i still deal with the perception that people are merely tolerating my presence at best, or believing i'm a burden at worst. i find ways to manage it without taking meds, but making jokes about it is not one of them.
and hence why i have no tolerance for people who use disability-related terms so flippantly. especially if they use them as substitutes for "stupid idiot". i don't think i need to spell out the implications of that.
so, please, stop making jokes about disabilities. they are NOT FUNNY.