Member

The problem is the escalation from minor incidents, including some of those that might be deemed to be abusive or insulting, to the much more serious ones that, for those on the receiving end, can undermine individuals to the absolute core of their being. As a disabled woman, I have been on the receiving end of microaggressions, discrimination in minor ways that most people would not notice, and certainly verbal abuse. Every time it happens, you think, “Do people really understand what they’re saying when they’re shouting right in your face?” I suspect not, but sometimes things escalate, which explains why the Council of Europe document has to chart this full range.