Ableism

(Note: There are many different types of disabilities, but this article is focusing on physical impairments)

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Sexism and Racism. Two issues that people have been fighting against for centuries on end with great success and pitfalls. However, there is one -ism that many people ignore, whether they are ignorant of it or they are indifferent.

Ableism. This word has popped up a lot on the media lately and it is a complicated word to define. The dictionary definition is “discrimination in favor of able-bodied people” but ableism is so much more than that. Ableism is believing disabled people are inferior and treating them as less human. It is not only an institution lacking the proper facilities to help people with disabilities, such as a building with stairs lacking a ramp or an elevator, it is also idolizing and isolating people with disabilities as abnormal and treating them differently from everybody else.

Another way to look at it is treating able-bodied people as “normal”, thereby providing for only them and building systems that lack proper help for people who are not “normal” according to their system.

Origins of Ableism to Now:

The origins of ableism come from medieval times, where people with disabilities or abnormalities were witches, and people would abandon their disabled babies to die. Some of these people with disabilities were sent to different asylums and were separated from the rest of the world. They were also in the circus and called circus freaks. These asylums eventually were abused and even placed in the same conditions and setting as prisoners. They were victims of extreme abuse and even shock treatment. Dorothea Dix was one of the first activists in the United States that made an effort to stop this abuse during the 19th century, and we have her and many others to thank for the better treatment of people with disabilities.

However, to this day people still discriminate against people with disabilities, which are being exposed on social media. There have been many posts on Instagram tagged with #stopableism with people recounting stories of ableist experiences.

Many YouTube videos have also arisen talking about ableism and disabled people discussing their experiences. A fan favorite is the Ted Talk “I am not your inspiration, thank you very much,” by the late Stella Young. She enlightens the audience on many plights that disabled people experience, and says that most “able-bodied” people view other people with disabilities as “inspiration porn” because they objectify people with disabilities by making them objects of inspiration, which makes them seem abnormal and isolated. She says that disabled people “are more disabled by our societies’ than our body’s and our diagnosis” because it is society itself that creates the expectation of having a disability as an obstacle in life and as a problem, when in reality people with disabilities are just as normal as everybody else in society.

How to help:

Now that you know what ableism is and how prevalent it is in our society, I’m sure you’ve added this -ism to the list that you are now against. You’re probably also looking for ways to help stop ableism, and these are five of our best recommendations.

1. Mind your Language:

• R*t*rded, m*dget, psycho, lame (yes, this word too), maniac, nuts, OCD,

• Phrases like “you’re such an inspiration” or “I could never imagine living with your condition”

These terms probably hurt someone to hear it even once, so imagine the impact when these words are said around us a thousand times a day. Ableism is so rooted into our society that offensive terminology can be detected in our everyday language and these words are painful to hear by people with disabilities. You might hear these terms thrown around your environment. If so, try to educate people around you and tell them to refrain from using these words. It is also important to ask the person with a disability in question what terms they are comfortable using.

2. Educate yourself- Educate yourself about the challenges that people with disabilities face and the right behavior. Educate yourself about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA laws) and know which institutions or places do not comply with them.

3. Spread Awareness- It is so simple to look up an article about ableism, find a social media post and share it on your platform (you can even share this article). You should also educate your loved ones on ableism.

4. Support - Use products or work with brands that are accommodating to people with disabilities (Example: Starbucks, Rare Beauty, Delta Airlines, Facebook). Look into your local community and support those businesses that you see are allies for people with disabilities. Down below, there is a link to organizations that help people with disabilities that you should be aware of.

(https://ncdj.org/resources/organizations/)

5. Don’t have low expectations for people who are disabled - remember that people with disabilities are normal people who can handle themselves, and do not jump in to help them with any activity they are performing without asking. Don’t make assumptions on what people with disabilities can and cannot do and don’t feel guilty or sorry for people with disabilities because they are normal and living their lives just like everybody else.

Sources:

• Elainey, Annie. “Casual Ableist Language.” Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 22 May 2013. Web. 1 October 2020.

• SensaCalm. “7 Ways to Fight Back Against Ableism.” SensaCalm, 2020, www.sensacalm.com/blogs/news/7-ways-to-fight-back-against-ableism.

• Society Socks. “6 Brands That Support People with Disabilities.” Society Socks, 2020, mysocietysocks.com/blogs/the-impact/brands-that-support-people-with-disabilities.

• Staff, MindPath. “Do You Know When You're Using Harmful Ableist Language?” MindPath Care Centers, 1 Oct. 2020, www.mindpathcare.com/blog/do-you-know-when-youre-using-harmful-ableist-language/.

• StopAbleism. “Ableism History.” Stop Ableism, 2020, www.stopableism.org/p/ableism-history.html.

• TED, “I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much.”, Online Video Clip. YouTube. Youtube, June 9 2014. Web. 1 October 2020