Cynthia Decore

NAME: Cynthia Decore
PLATFORM & USERNAME: Insta – @disableddiscourse
CENSORSHIP: Shadow ban and restricted account, unable to promote posts as ads because they are “related to a social movement” (disability rights)

What reason was given for your ban?

Related to social movement, sensitive content, no response given when I reported my account unfairly reported as spam

Why do you think your post(s) was censored?

I am queer and disabled, discussing trauma theory and other topics that include “sensitive words” (even when used in a trauma informed discourse) My account was restricted for two weeks in January, supposedly because its activity was marked as spam, and even though I reported it I had to wait 3 full days before I could interact with any posts (or post my own content).

Following that, my story views and engagement on my posts were a fraction of the number that would normally see my content.

The caption for the post was:

“Disability rights are as complex as disability itself.

When we understand that disability affects every facet of daily living, everything becomes an issue of accessibility and equality.

This is why representation matters: a lived experience is too much to explain to people who have always existed in power over us. “

Were you able to appeal and what was the response?

Yes but no response

What effect has your experience of censorship had on you?

Hard to promote posts or increase reach/engagement

What’s one thing you want people to know about this topic?

Being disabled shouldn’t be inherently political, talking about the complexity of accessibility and rights shouldn’t be controversial, disability isn’t sensitive content just for existing.