4 things we learned about plastic straw bans from people with disabilities

There is a debate taking place online in reaction to the plastic straw bans spreading across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

As various cities and companies ban plastic straws, advocates for people with disabilities have taken to social media to voice their opposition. First Vancouver in May, then Seattle earlier this month, and now Starbucks, McDonalds, and American Airlines have created laws or policies limiting plastic straws. 

Just this weekend, advocates canceled a protest planned in front of a New York City Starbucks after speaking with a company official about its ban. Starbucks announced on Friday that straws would be available for customers who ask, but did not confirm they would be plastic — a sticking point for advocates who feel like Starbucks isn't compromising enough.

While many see the ban as a positive way to reduce plastic waste, prohibiting plastic straws may have serious consequences for people with disabilities. 

Here are four issues people with disabilities have spotlighted while taking about the ban online.

1. Plastic straws are a necessity for some

Though plastic straws are a luxury for some, they are a necessity for others. Straws function as an  accessibility tool and have historically been used to offer independence for people with disabilities. For this reason, some disability rights advocates have asked for a compromise, which requires businesses to provide plastic straws to those who request them, similar to Starbucks' plan. But that trade-off has some worried that people with disabilities, an already burdened group, will face hardship by being forced to ask. 

2. Alternatives have their own problems

Disability rights advocates have been voicing concerns over the limitations of plastic straw alternatives on social media as well. Plastic straws are uniquely designed to avoid burning, choking, or otherwise injuring a person. Plastic alternatives like metal and glass can't be flexed like a bendy straw and paper, especially, can be a choking hazard. Biodegradable alternatives can also be more expensive and harm those with food allergies. 

3. Feeling shame

Moreover, people in this community already feel they have been shamed for voicing important concerns about their health. Asking them if they've heard about plastic alternatives can be compared to mansplaining.

4. Being excluded

In many ways, the straw ban has shed light on the extent to which people with disabilities are excluded from conversations about the very policies that impact them. People with disabilities have said they are also concerned about the environment, but forcing them to choose between environmentalism and their health is inconsiderate. They've also noted that this isn't the only way to reduce plastic waste and encourage lawmakers and business owners to adopt alternative environmentally-friendly policies. 

Overarching lesson: We need to be better about listening to people with lived experiences different from our own and including them in policy changes that affect their lives.

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