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Eva Sweeney is a 26-year-old queer gender studies graduate. She also has cerebral palsy, a condition which means she can’t walk, speak, or use her muscles in conventional ways.

Eva’s disability encourages complete strangers to act in strange and ridiculous ways - from the homeless man who offered her money, to the Jehova’s Witnesses who tried to cure her in a public toilet.

To document this bizarre treatment, Eva has mounted a discreet video camera to her wheelchair and she posts the funniest and most infuriating footage on her blog, The Deal with Disability. In this interview with Lesbilicious, Eva explains what it is she’s trying to do with her blog.

Why did you start The Deal With Disability? Is it art, revenge, activism or something else?
“Honestly, I started this a just a fun little project. I always have stories of people treating me weirdly so I just wanted to keep sort of a scrapbook of these encounters so I could look back at them and laugh. I have always talked about how funny it would be to carry around a camera.

However, I had no clue people would like it so much. I have gotten some great comments. Not only things like ‘I like your blog’ but thing things like how educational it is and how it opened the reader’s eyes.”

What’s the most ridiculous or infuriating thing anyone’s ever done or said to you?
“Hmmm. This is a tough one. People have done a lot of different stuff so its pretty hard to compare them.

If I had to chose I would say the time I went to the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles). I have little control over my mouth and thus tend to drool. I’m totally cool with it, it’s just part of me. But as I was looking at the exhibit, one of the employees said to my dad ‘She’s slobbering… she’s slobbering all over herself!’ That will ruin a trip.”

You get a lot of annoying behaviour from people, from those who ignore you to those who treat you like a child. What’s your pet peeve? Is there anything you see people do or say which is guaranteed to drive you crazy?
My biggest pet peeve is people not talking to me, especially if they talk to my aide about me. Like ‘Does she want [insert object]?’ and I’m like, ‘Please ask me.’ Even if I can’t speak, I can nod or shake my head. You’d be surprise how far yes or no can take you.

Many of your videos show people treating you like you’re invisible because you have a disability. Do you feel invisible as a queer person too? If so do you think the two are connected?
“Well I think people don’t believe that disabled people can have sexual identities. So I guarantee not many people realise I’m queer (even though I have a button on my backpack that says ‘I heart vaginas’).

And its not like when you go out to do errands you announce to the world ‘I’m queer!’ I am on the butch side, so the main encounter I run into is that people often mistake me for an 8 year old boy.”

How do people react when you tell them you’re queer? Do you think you get a different reaction to non-disabled queer people? If so why?
“Again, I don’t tell random people that I’m queer, but in general I believe most people don’t think about disabled people as having sexual identities. Its like we’re made to be asexual.

So when I do tell people I get a lot of TMI ['too much information'] questions. For example, strangers have asked how I have sex. Often, I ask them the same question. That usually shuts them up.”

You’re very kind to the people you film - you blur out people’s faces and give them the benefit of the doubt when they’re doing stupid things. Why?
“Because everyone has done something stupid that they wouldn’t want up on Youtube and my aim is not to make fun of the individual but to expose the behaviour.”

What’s the main message you want people to get from your blog?
“It’s my hope that the blog will enlighten and educate the public on the daily trials and tribulations of interacting in an able-bodied world. Treat adults as adults, even if they can’t speak, are in a wheelchair, or are accompanied by someone.

And don’t pet, pray over, or give random objects to disabled people. We will make fun of you.”

Read Eva’s blog at The Deal with Disability.

Posted in: Exclusives, Sex & Relationships |