a-ble-ism
/'abe,lizem/
noun
discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.
As social justice, equity, and inclusion permeate our collective consciousness, it's essential for advocates to remember another 'ism,' one that is frequently left out of conversations.
Ableism.
The world wasn't built with people with disabilities in mind, and because of that, the world we live in is inherently "ableist."
What is Ableism?
Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are 'superior.' At it's heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require 'fixing' and defines people by their disability. Like racism and sexism, ableism classifies entire groups of people as 'less than.' and includes harmful stereotypes, misconceptions, and generalizations of people with disabilities.
What does Ableism look like?
Ableism can take many forms including but not limited to:
*Lack of compliance with disability rights laws like the ADA
*Segregating students with disabilities into separate schools
*The use of restraint or seclusion as a means of controlling students with disabilities
*Segregating adults and children with disabilities in institutions
*Failing to incorporate accessibility into building design plans
*Buildings without braille on signs, elevator buttons, etc.
*The assumption that people with disabilities want or need to be 'fixed'
*Using disability as a punchline, or mocking people with disabilities
*Refusing to provide responsible accommodations
But...what about 'everyday' or minor ableism? what does that look like?
*Choosing an inaccessible venue for a meeting or event, therefore excluding some participants
*Using someone else's mobility device as a hand or foot rest
*Framing disability as either tragic or inspirational in news stories, movies and other popular forms of media.
*Casting a non-disabled actor to play a disabled character in a play, movie, TV show or commercial
*Making a movie that doesn't have audio description or closed captioning
*Using the accessible bathroom stall (I am sooo guilty) when you are able to use the non-accessible stall without pain or risk of injury
*Wearing scented products in a scent-free environment
*Talking to a person with a disability like they are a child, talking about them instead of directly to them, or Speaking for them
*Asking invasive questions about the medical history or personal life of someone with a disability
*Assuming people have to have a visible disability to actually be disabled
*Questioning if someone is 'actually' disabled, or 'how much' they are disabled
*Asking, "How did you become disabled"
What are ableist micro-aggressions?
Micro-aggressions are everyday verbal or behavioral expressions that communicate a negative slight or insult in relation to someone's gender identity, race, sex, disability, etc.
Examples include, but of course are not limited to:
*"That's so lame"
*"You are so retarded"
*"That guy is crazy!"
*"You're acting so bi-polar right now"
*(my personal favorite)" Are you off your meds?"
*"It's like the blind leading the blind"
*"My ideas fell on deaf ears"
*"She's such a psycho"
*"I'm like, super OCD about how I clean my apartment"
*"Can I pray for you?"
*"I'll pray for you"
*"I don't even think of you as disabled"
Phrases like this imply that a disability makes a person less than, and that disability is bad. Negative, a problem to be fixed, rather than a normal, inevitable part of the human experience. Many people don't mean to even be insulting, most are just uneducated and a lot have good intentions however even well-meant comments and actions can take a serious toll on their recipients.
What can we do to recognize and avert ableism?
*Believe people when they disclose a disability
*Similarly, don't accuse people of 'faking' their disability
*Listen to people when they request an accommodation
*Don't assume you know what someone needs
*Never touch a person with a disability or their mobility equipment without their CONSENT
*Keep invasive questions to yourself
*Don't speak on behalf of someone with a disability unless they explicitly ask you to
*Talk about disability with children and young people
*Incorporate accessibility into your event planning
*Learn more about being a good disability ally at this website #Allies
Thanks for taking your valuable time to sit here with me today and talk about this, while it's not talked about as much as it should be in much of today's media I am always looking for what others are missing, so I can inform you guys and we can continue growing a greater, loving tomorrow together.
Take good care of yourselves and each other, until next time.
Cheers,
A 💕
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