We need your help. YouTube has taken the discriminatory action of disabling all of SBSK's comment sections. We need your assistance in persuading them to reverse this decision that will be extremely harmful to our movement towards inclusion. Full story: .
YouTube has decided children and adults with disabilities shouldn't have access to community because they're "at risk for predatory comments". This double standard doesn't apply to shows like Toddlers and Tiaras, who are allowed to keep comments. There is no justifying this.
Zaid survived burns so severe that doctors say it's a miracle he’s still alive. People now tease him for "looking like a zombie". He wants others to know that he’s just a nice guy who enjoys making new friends. Contribute to Zaid's medical fundraiser at .
We raised more than $160,000 overnight for Zaid's medical expenses! Thank you to everyone who has been a part of these efforts. Before the interview aired Zaid told his teacher that he thought the fundraiser might generate a few hundred bucks at most. I'm happy he was wrong. 😊
Today is our 5 year anniversary. I have learned so much in the last half decade being with Alyssa. I'd say the most important thing is truly understanding the value of having someone who will stand beside you unconditionally. I love you!
This is my friend Luis. We raised $67,000 to purchase him a wheelchair accessible van. We rallied our community mostly through the comment section of YouTube.
@SusanWojcicki
@YTCreators
@vgcerf
please enable our comment section on SBSK so we can continue to do good.
#UnsilenceSBSK
@BallingerMom
This happened to my channel with over 1.2 million subscribers too. I interview people with disabilities and they explain life from their perspective. The comments are always a CELEBRATION. This ruins everything I stand for and sets our community back incredibly.
Daniel is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. He experiences paranoid delusions that others are constantly spying on him. Daniel does not know if he can ever be happy again, but for the first time he is reaching out and trying. Full interview at .
Just received an email from a university that wants to include our videos in their curriculum. Love seeing stuff like that! Everyone is free to use our vids however they see fit. I believe the more ppl listening to each other's stories the better.
We raised a quarter million dollars for Zaid's medical expenses in two days. Thank you for rallying around our new friend and reinforcing the idea that the world is full of kind people to him.
There is a video on YouTube in which a man rants about how the people I interview should have been aborted. This video has comments. Yet our SBSK videos series which promotes inclusion and acceptance has had it's entire community censored. This isn't going away
@TeamYouTube
.
Zaid's story is now being shared around the world and the fundraiser for his medical expenses is at over $314,000 in a little over a week. Our advocacy also forced Facebook to remove a graphic warning over his face and promise to better train their staff. Thank you everyone!
After our last video had comments for multiple days I emailed YouTube to ask if our ban was over. They replied no and promptly disabled comments on our newest video. This whole experience has been incredibly isolating and I feel as if SBSK is not welcome on YouTube.
A huge thank you to
@PhillyD
for talking about
#UnsilenceSBSK
on his show today. As long time viewers it brought Alyssa and me so much comfort to hear you advocate for the return of our comment section. Check it out at . We'd love to talk
@YTCreators
.
Only a few months ago SBSK reached a million subscribers on YouTube. Today we reached 1.5 million. Sadly, this quick growth seems to have a cloud over it with our comment section still disabled. Regardless, thank you for your continued support.
Our mission statement is "Normalize the diversity of the human condition". That means there's no such thing as "weird", just different ways to be human.
Throwback to when I was a teacher and all my students pranked me and came in dressed as me. At this point in my life I felt like I won the lottery. A job I loved, living in a closet sized apartment that was beach side and lots of beach volleyball! Good times!
Yes like when you allowed a video stating the children I interview should be aborted. Yet you delete our comments while we give children/adults with a disability a platform to share their thoughts. If you are an open platform be open to those spreading kindness
@TeamYouTube
.
@gaywonk
(3/4) As an open platform, it’s crucial for us to allow everyone–from creators to journalists to late-night TV hosts–to express their opinions w/in the scope of our policies. Opinions can be deeply offensive, but if they don’t violate our policies, they’ll remain on our site.
Yesterday I published Reggie's interview. He is a man in his 50s. We still don't have comments on YouTube. I find it so infuriating and insulting that people cannot comment on the thoughts of an adult. The reasoning of "protecting children" doesn't add up in my mind.
I would rather lose everything fighting for my friends than stay silent and be complicit in their segregation.
@SusanWojcicki
@TeamYouTube
I'm open to chatting anytime. Are you?
#UnsilenceSBSK
Alyssa is part of Team SBSK and my partner of six years. She is also diagnosed with five mental health disorders. Alyssa has spent this year committed to therapy and self-improvement. This is the story of her self-improvement and our love.
Johanna is diagnosed with albinism, blindness and a rare disorder. She was adopted after being found wandering alone at a market in China. To her new family's surprise, she has been nothing but joyful since the first time they met. Full interview at .
I received an email from a MCN saying that if I was to join their multi-channel network our comments would be instantly enabled through their connections at YouTube. How sad that the only way to reason with
@YouTube
is to become a corporation yourself. I think I'll pass.
YouTube has started disabling the comments on all of our videos. For four years I've dedicated myself to this cause and I feel like it is all being thrown away. For the first time in all of this I feel defeated. Thanks
@TeamYouTube
.
It is SBSK’s 4th birthday! We have laughed, cried, danced and experienced complete exhaustion. Through it all we have never lost our passion for this work. That is because of each of you. This wonderful community is the reason we will continue this journey for years to come.
I'm proud of Alyssa for being such a visible part of
#UnsilenceSBSK
. It can be overwhelming taking a stand publicly yet she decided to fight this discrimination. It is a true example of courage and I know she's inspiring many out there to stand for what they believe in too.
This is one of my friends Sophia. She lives with stage 4 brain cancer. We are doing a fundraiser for her when with her video this week. Without a comment section the fundraising total will be less. Please consider this
@SusanWojcicki
@vgcerf
@YTCreators
@rkyncl
.
#UnsilenceSBSK
The comments from last night's video are still up. Thousands of positive remarks filled with love. I haven't been notified of any updates from my YT connections. Keep your fingers crossed that it's not just a bug. 🤞
When Hayden was born professionals told his family he would never eat, think or talk. Today he is able to communicate with the help of assistive technology. After every phrase Hayden speaks, he is overcome with joy at the ability to express his thoughts.
Just got off the phone with YouTube. They couldn't guarantee SBSK will ever have comments again. They showed us a few comments (out of over a million) from trolls and used that to justify their decision. YouTube has allowed a few trolls to hault a social movement. (1/2)
Thanks for all the love everyone. I've never been more proud of Alyssa, but most importantly, I've never seen her so confident. It's awesome. Here's a picture of us as chaperones at a school dance back when I was a teacher. 😎
Betty is a holocaust survivor and lives with PTSD. She is one of the many interviews that
@YouTube
disabled comments for on our channel. They claim to have done this keep children safe but refuse to answer why our videos featuring adults were also impacted.
#UnsilenceSBSK
(1/2)
I will not stop until we have answers. Since we are being ignored by
@YouTube
and
@SusanWojcicki
we are formulating our next plan of action to organizations that may care. This article is a summary of everything that has happened so far
#UnsilenceSBSK
.
Blake is a college student with Down syndrome and Tanner is his autistic roommate. Together the two are living, learning and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Full interview at .
It's been two years since our friend Kayne passed away after a long battle with a DIPG brain tumor. We visited his family to discuss grief and to tell them they will always be loved members of our community. Watch this video at .
Sofi is diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. After her head was shaved to prepare for surgery she feared that nobody would love her anymore. Now Sofi is learning that the world finds her beautiful in so many ways. Watch this full interview at .
In 2010 I applied to Teach for America and wasn't accepted. I was upset for a day or two and then got on with it. Today our videos have over 1.5 bill views across social media. Rejection and failure is a part of everybody's path regardless of their current state.
Daniel is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. After a forced psychiatric stay, he sent me an email describing his loss of hope and feelings of despair. This video captures my visit with Daniel and his desire to find direction following his release.
I know I've been tweeting endlessly about
#UnsilenceSBSK
. Throughout this all, I am still very aware of how fortunate I am to have such a loving family and support unit that includes our community. So much to smile about. Happy Friday!
YouTube is not okay with giving the disability community an open platform to voice their thoughts. They do find it acceptable to state they do not have a right to live. I feel sick about this.
@YTCreators
@SusanWojcicki
Reggie is diagnosed with neurofibromatosis and has tumors all over his body. He fears that others will be scared of his appearance. Reggie wants people to know that he’s just a normal guy who loves baking and his family. Watch his interview at .
I almost can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Toddlers and Tiaras has their comments on. But SBSK is "at high risk for predatory comments". And yes, I have communicated with a human at
@YouTube
and they confirmed this decision. Seems more like CORPtube.
The response to our latest mental health interview has shown me that there is a strong need for such content. I plan to feature those living with a mental health diagnosis more frequently going forward. Thank you for the incredible feedback.
We are devastated at YouTube's censorship of the disability community. I wanted to turn our angst into something productive. Check out Sofi's fundraiser at . We will keep fighting to
#UnsilenceSBSK
for all of our past and future friends. More to come.
I can't believe it's been 5 years since this clip of my classroom's morning routine went viral. I didn't know it at the time, but this video led to SBSK evolving to what it is today. If I never taught such a great group of kids SBSK would not exist in its current form. Thank you!
Tonight's video had comments on it for a few minutes. Hundreds of supportive comments started rolling in. After 5 mins they were once again disabled. This was not my doing. You just had to pull out my heart and stomp on it YouTube!? 😢
We hit two million subscribers on YouTube yesterday! I'm enjoying this more than ever and treasure every moment I'm able to dedicate to SBSK. Thanks everyone.
Jeff is diagnosed with Nager syndrome. He hopes that instead of just staring you take the time to talk to him about "sports, animals and Disney." Full interview at .
Ashanti is diagnosed with autism and a learning disability. In social situations she pretends to be someone else so others don’t view her as weird. Ashanti is sick of feeling like an “alien” and just wants a friend. Full interview at .
Our petition is nearing 300,000 yet we have not heard from anyone at YouTube who can help.
@rkyncl
, you are the chief business officer at
@YouTube
. Can you help restore comments on our disability advocacy channel with over 1.3 million subscribers?
This is Pierre, an adult on the autism spectrum. In his interview he shares "If you ever run into me, let me be your friend. I'm a nice person." YouTube disabled all comments on his video because it is "at risk for predatory comments". Please explain
@YTCreators
.
#UnsilenceSBSK
I once again want to point out that channels like Toddlers and Tiaras have their comments on. When addressing this to YouTube they had no response. Channels with money and more followers prosper while the disability community suffers.
@SusanWojcicki
#UnsilenceSBSK
.
Each comment shown contained a word that is currently on our "banned words" list. This means they wouldn't be visible on our channel if written today. We said we would love to work together to find a solution. In response YT said they can't make exceptions to their rules. (2/2)
Grayson lives with a condition so rare it is named after him. He is the only person ever known to have this disorder, but he just wants to talk about baseball and be one of the guys. Watch this full interview at .
Please keep Sophia and her family in your thoughts. In my short time with them it was clear how much love they had for each other. The world is a better place for having known Sophia.
Our
#SweetSophia
left this earth last night as she spent every day of her life, surrounded by love & adoration.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to
Once we pull ourselves from this shattering pain we will continue to help others in her memory
Anicee was born with Brittle Bone Disease and raised in an orphanage. At age seven she found her forever home with parents diagnosed with the same condition. Now a teenager, Anicee truly understands the value of family.
This week I'm visiting Kev. He was my student for 3 years and was born without the part of the brain that connects the two hemisphere. Kev spent countless hours learning to safely cross the street. Now he's a college student who loves walking around campus and greeting everyone.
Alexandra is diagnosed with Williams syndrome, a condition known to cause a friendly personality. She has unconditional love for people, but it is not always returned. Alexandra wishes she was “normal” so that she could better fit in. Full video at .
This entire ordeal with
@YouTube
has been incredibly exhausting. We simply want answers from
@YTCreators
so we can move forward as a nonprofit. Yet they refuse to provide any details. It is hard to focus on the content we love to create with this hanging over our heads.
Kate is diagnosed with Pfeiffer syndrome, a condition that causes her to look different from other children. Those who take the time to say "hi" to Kate will meet a new friend who loves toys and books. Watch this full interview at .
I think every person in this world has a quality that could lead to them having a truly special impact on the world. You don't need to be an expert at everything, but find the talent that makes you unique and put all your concentration + effort into maximizing that trait.
Michelle is one of only a few hundred people ever known to have Hallerman-Streiff syndrome. Instead of worrying about the future, she just takes life one day at a time. Full interview at .
Lauren was born with a rare skin disorder known as harlequin ichthyosis. Now that she is a teenager, Lauren is excited to learn to drive so she can get chicken nuggets with her friends. Full interview at
Two months together at home and she still thinks my (admittedly corny) jokes are funny! I miss filming new interviews but am grateful for good company.
Many of you will remember Grayson from last year. Since his interview Grayson’s health has rapidly declined. Learn more and how to help at . SBSK has contributed $2500 to help our friend and encourage a contribution of any amount if you are able.
I'm preparing a video that is emotional and deep. Having a hard time with editing the longer YouTube version knowing that there will be no access to community for those represented. Seriously considering posting strictly to our other platforms until this is resolved. Thoughts?
Every day I receive messages stating that I am doing a great injustice by disabling SBSK's comments. Just a reminder that this was YouTube's decison and one I protested greatly. I do understand your frustration.
I'll be sharing an interview tomorrow of a child with cerebral palsy who is learning to walk. I am happy for her and she should be reinforced. I also have many friends with a disability that cannot walk. This does not impact their worthiness at all. We all deserve acceptance.
Jacob is the first known person to live with his specific mutated gene. His family has no way of predicting his future, so they simply celebrate each day with Jacob. Full interview at
This is why I am advocating so hard right now. I've seen my friends discriminated against for far too long. I handle this with positivity and lead by example. But this time my hand has been forced.
#UnsilenceSBSK
Lujain was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after surviving seven minutes without oxygen at birth. She is not yet able to walk or talk but loves making new friends and sharing a laugh.
Spoke about the importance of inclusion and acceptance to 1100 people today. It is great bringing the SBSK message to others for the first time. People of all ages we're in attendance. Extremely rewarding! Now back to work to
#UnsilenceSBSK
!
Kevin, who was a student in the class where SBSK started, was just accepted into college! As his teacher for three years, I saw how hard he worked daily. You deserve this Kev! Get used to his face. I have a big announcement involving Kev later this year!😊
Get ready for Rocky Top, Kevin! We can't wait for you to get here! 🍊
#NewVols
Video courtesy of
@chrisulmer
, whose organization Special Books By Special Kids strives to create a more inclusive world for everyone.
I had a call with YouTube this morning. They said our comments will remain off. Please continue to sign our petition at and feel free to tag
@SusanWojcicki
in your tweets. We need to get this situation in front of those making the decisions.
#UnsilenceSBSK
Ellie is diagnosed with autism, anxiety and ADHD. While all her peers are getting jobs and boyfriends, she just wants to watch kid cartoons. Ellie wishes she could be more mature, but all that stuff just seems so boring to her. Full video at .