5
Section one: The fundamentals
A)
Exercise 1: Notebook Prompt
Many of you are likely familiar with the concept of “ability inequity,” which the authors of this article define as “an unjust or unfair (a) ‘distribution of access to and protection from abilities generated through human interventions’ or (b) ‘judgment of abilities intrinsic to biological structures such as the human body’.”
However, they go on to identify the following “ability concepts” that are less familiar:
1) ability security (one is able to live a decent life with whatever set of abilities one has)
2) ability identity security (to be able to be at ease with ones abilities)
How prevalent are these forms of security among disabled people you know? Or, if you identify as a disabled person, would you say your social surroundings and community foster and support these kinds of security? Furthermore, while the focus of the article is on Kinesiology programs, it is also important to reflect on how academia in general accommodates for disability. If you feel comfortable answering this question, what has been your experience of postsecondary education to date?
-OR-
The authors also observe that “Ableism not only intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism, sexism, ageism, and classism, but abilities are often used to justify such negative ‘isms’.”
What do you think this means? Provide an example.
| I think that by this, the authors mean that society frequently uses perceived ability, or lack of ability, as a rationale to reinforce existing prejudices. For example, sexist assumptions about women’s physical abilities have justified excluding women from certain sports or professional roles. For example, I do not know of any universities in Ontario with a women’s football team, but I can name many with a men’s football team. Female athletes are often perceived as naturally weaker or less capable physically than male athletes, which leads to unequal resource distribution, lower visibility, fewer sponsorships, and fewer professional opportunities. This is evident in the fact that a stadium for an NBA game is packed, whereas the stadium for a WNBA game is usually far from it.
Similarly, racism intersects with ableism when stereotypes about people of colour negatively influence how they are treated based on perceived abilities. For instance, IQ tests historically included cultural biases, disadvantaging Black individuals whose cultural experiences were not reflected in these assessments. As a result, many Black people scored lower, reinforcing harmful stereotypes about their intelligence. Employers have leveraged this stereotype to justify discriminatory hiring practices, denying job opportunities to qualified candidates of colour. |
Exercise 2: Implicit Bias Test
Did anything surprise you about the results of the test? Please share if you’re comfortable OR comment on the usefulness of these kinds of tests more generally.
| This test did surprise me slightly. I feel that I consciously try not to hold biases against physically disabled individuals, and yet my test results revealed a moderate automatic preference for Physically Abled People over Physically Disabled People. However, after reflecting, these results make sense. I noticed it was easier and more automatic for me to associate physically disabled people with the bad concepts and physically abled people with good ones, rather than the reverse. This insight is valuable, and I believe it’s a test many people should take, as it helps to highlight biases we may not even realize we hold. |
B) Keywords
Exercise 3:
Add the keyword you contributed to padlet and briefly (50 words max) explain its importance to you.
| Ableism is essentially the belief that disabled individuals are less capable or even less valuable than non-disabled people. It’s important to me because acknowledging ableism helps me identify hidden biases, support inclusivity, and actively support environments where people of all abilities are equally respected and empowered. |
B) On Disability
Exercise 4: Complete the Activities
Exercise 5: Notebook Prompt
What do Fitzgerald and Long identify as barriers to inclusion and how might these apply to sport in particular?
Fitzgerald and Long identify several barriers to inclusion in sports, such as logistical, physical, psychological, communication, and attitudinal challenges. Logistical barriers include issues such as location, cost, and transportation to sporting events. Physical or structural barriers include inaccessible sports facilities or inadequate equipment and staffing. Psychological barriers consist of disabled participants feeling self-conscious, inferior, or fearful of humiliation when integrated into mainstream sports settings. Communication barriers particularly impact individuals who are deaf or have intellectual disabilities due to ineffective communication methods by providers. Finally, attitudinal barriers include negative or resistant attitudes from non-disabled people, often reinforcing exclusion. Altogether, these barriers can severely limit disabled individuals’ opportunities to participate in sports, often isolating them rather than including.
C) Inclusion, Integration, Separation
Exercise 6: Complete the Activities
Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
Choose ONE of the three questions Fitzgerald and Long argue disability sport needs to address and record your thoughts in your Notebook.
- Should sport be grouped by ability or disability?
- Is sport for participation or competition?
- Should sport competitions be integrated?
| Should sport competitions be integrated?
I believe sport competitions should generally strive for integration but also recognize that true integration requires more than just placing disabled and non-disabled athletes together. Effective integration means restructuring sports to celebrate diverse abilities rather than reinforcing traditional norms focused exclusively on physical “normality”. Without this shift, integrated competitions risk highlighting differences negatively, creating feelings of inferiority among disabled athletes. On the other hand, separate competitions can empower supportive environments but might reinforce societal divisions. The ideal scenario would be to prioritize integration wherever possible, making meaningful adaptations and accommodations to ensure fairness, dignity, and equal recognition. Ultimately, sports competitions should not just tolerate diversity but embrace it, emphasizing participation, respect, and the full acknowledgment of athletes’ varied abilities and achievements. For example, it would be interesting to have games, such as wheelchair basketball, that allow anyone, physically disabled or not, to compete using a wheelchair. |
Part Two: Making Connections
A) Gender, Sport and Disability
Exercise 8: Complete the Activity
The paradox that sportswomen habitually face (as the authors observe, this isn’t confined to disabled sportswomen) involves the expectation they will be successful in a ‘masculine’ environment while complying with femininity norms in order to be recognized as a woman.
True or false?
Take a moment to reflect on this paradox below (optional).
| I think that this paradox is true. This paradox puts sportswomen in a tough spot. They’re expected to succeed in a “masculine” environment while still appearing feminine to be accepted as women. For disabled sportswomen, it’s even more complex due to added stereotypes about ability. |
B) Masculinity, Disability, and Murderball
Exercise 9: Notebook/Padlet Prompt
Watch the film, Murderball and respond to the question in the padlet below (you will have an opportunity to return to the film at the end of this module).
The authors of “Cripping Sport and Physical Activity: An Intersectional Approach to Gender and Disability” observe that the “gendered performance of the wheelchair rugby players can…be interpreted as a form of resistance to marginalized masculinity” (332) but also point out that it may reinforce “ableist norms of masculinity.” After viewing the film, which argument do you agree with?
a) Murderball celebrates a kind of resistance to marginalized masculinity
| d) Murderball does both of these things
After watching Murderball, I feel that the film both celebrates a kind of resistance to marginalized masculinity and reinforces ableist norms of masculinity. On one hand, the athletes resist marginalized masculinity by challenging stereotypes around disability. They present themselves as physically aggressive, competitive, and independent, all of which are qualities often culturally associated with traditional masculinity but not usually attributed to men with disabilities. However, the documentary also reinforces ableist norms of masculinity by emphasizing toughness, aggression, and physical dominance as markers of masculinity. This may imply that the value and acceptance for men with disabilities depend on their ability to “overcome” and eplicate an able-bodied ideal of masculinity. This can unintentionally harm disabled men who do not conform to these traditional masculine ideals. |
Section Three: Taking a Shot
A) Resistance
B) Calling out Supercrip
Exercise 10: Mini Assignment (worth 5% in addition to the module grade)
1) Do you agree with the critique of the “supercrip” narrative in this video? Why or why not? Find an example of the “supercrip” Paralympian in the 2024 Paris Paralympics or Special Olympics coverage and explain how it works.
| I agree with the critique of the “supercrip” narrative presented in the video because it clearly shows how disabled individuals are often portrayed as heroes simply for doing everyday tasks, like brushing their teeth. These are things non-disabled people do without recognition, yet when a disabled person does them, it’s framed as a heroic act of overcoming adversity. This reflects how deeply rooted ableism is in society’s perceptions, where basic functionality becomes remarkable solely because of disability. It shifts the focus away from equity and instead reinforces the idea that disability must be “conquered” to be worthy of admiration, not the idea that maybe tooth brush companies should try to make some more inclusive options.
That said, there were moments in the video where the “supercrip” narrative didn’t feel as present. In clips showing athletes performing high-level, competitive sports, I found myself genuinely impressed, not because they were disabled, but because of their skill, power, and athleticism. In some shots, I even momentarily forgot about their disability, which felt more like authentic representation grounded in ability rather than inspiration. However, the video as a whole leaned heavily on individual achievement and determination, without acknowledging the systemic barriers disabled athletes often face such as limited funding, lack of accessible facilities, or inadequate coaching opportunities. Focusing only on personal success risks sending the message that success is purely about mindset or willpower, when in reality, structural inequalities often determine who has access to opportunities in sport. A more balanced narrative would highlight not just resilience, but also the need for collective action and inclusive change. |
2) Does the film Murderball play into the supercrip narrative in your opinion? How does gender inform supercrip (read this blog for some ideas)?
(300 words for each response)
|
The documentary Murderball explores the experiences of athletes with disabilities who compete in wheelchair rugby. In my opinion, this documentary both reinforces and challenges the supercrip narrative. On one hand, Murderball aligns with the supercrip narrative by highlighting the athletes’ intense training routines, competition, and personal journeys of adapting to life post-injury. The film shows their resilience and determination, which, although admirable, risk framing their worth primarily through their ability to “overcome” physical obstacles. Such portrayals imply that recognition for individuals with disabilities is contingent upon exceptional achievements. On the other hand, Murderball disrupts this narrative by presenting the athletes as well-rounded individuals with full and complex lives beyond their disabilities. The documentary does not limit itself to showcasing their impairments but emphasizes their personalities, relationships, and day to day experiences. In doing so, it challenges the problematic view that people with disabilities are either to be pitied or defined solely by their physical condition. Many sports documentaries similarly go into athletes’ lives, struggles, and triumphs, and Murderball can be viewed within this broader genre. However, the film does highlight aspects of the athletes’ lives impacted by their disabilities, therefore still engaging the supercrip narrative. Gender significantly informs the supercrip narrative, as perceptions of disability are often intertwined with gendered expectations. The athletes are shown as strong, tough, and competitive, traits aligning closely with traditional masculine ideals. This portrayal reinforces the idea that to be valued, men with disabilities must exhibit hyper-masculine characteristics or engage in highly competitive, physical sports. In contrast, women with disabilities may encounter different societal pressures, potentially leading to underrepresentation or differing standards of “achievement” in media portrayals. Would men in wheelchairs who don’t play a highly competitive, contact sport still be respected and celebrated in the same way? |
