People often congratulate equity-denied people for being “so resilient”. It is meant as a compliment but for many of us – disabled, neurodivergent, 2SLGBTQIA+, immigrants, racialized, and other equity-denied identities – it covers the deeper truth, that resilience is a necessary reality and surviving mechanism forced on us by systems, structures, and people that continually fail us.

In this workshop, we will discuss the language of resilience through a Disability Justice lens. We will explore how the narrative of “resilience” often shifts responsibility onto individuals and communities and off the systems requiring it.

This session is not about teaching people how to be more resilient, it’s about challenging why they have to be so resilient in the 1st place.

Participants will:

• Examine how the concept of resilience shows up in everyday language and practice.
• Explore how systemic barriers make resilience a necessity rather than a choice.
• Reflect on how “resilience” connects directly with the need for a disability justice framework with principles like collective access, interdependence, and collective care.
• Discuss the right that people have not be resilient. Fragility, vulnerability, need for community, and interdependence are aspects of being human – not personal failures.
• Explore concepts like collective care, mutual aid, and collective access, recognizing that no one should have to earn rest, support, or safety by proving their endurance.