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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 believe the authors observation that abilities intersect with other forms discrimination refers to the stereotypes that exist due to racism, sexism, ageism, and classism. These stereotypes are connected with how people are viewed, and if an individual’s abilities are similar to their stereotypical abilities, this can be viewed as less impressive without logical reason. I believe the observation is saying that when an individual’s ability correlates with a racist, sexist, ageist, or classist idea it will then be used to prove that negative idea right. An example of this could be an athlete from a certain race being excellent at a given position that commonly played by that persons race, and an athlete from a different race getting more recognition with a similar resume at that position.
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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.
| These kinds of tests are very useful in finding biases in how the overall population thinks. It teaches people about bias that they might not be aware the have that may lead to dangerous assumption. It can lead to people thinking more openly and taking all necessary information in before reaching conclusions.
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B) Keywords
Exercise 3:
Add the keyword you contributed to padlet and briefly (50 words max) explain its importance to you.
| Ableism: It is the discrimination toward people based on their abilities. This means treating people with less respect or excluding someone based on a disability. In order to counter ableism in the sports world everyone must be treated as an equal, and opportunities and experiences must be accessible for people with any level of ability with respect to the sport.
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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 “inaccessible transport, buildings and amenities, lack of opportunity and prejudicial attitudes” (Fitzgerald & Long, 128). Available transport in sports means being able to affordably get to every event necessary both at a reasonable timeframe and in a reasonable amount of time. It is also to ensure safety in getting to and from a sports facility. In buildings and amenities it is essential to have all of the necessary equipment available for a disability along with a welcoming environment that makes it as easy as possible for those with disabilities to enjoy every aspect of the given sport taking place. The opportunity in terms of sport is giving everyone the chance to experience the sports values, like the competitiveness, exercise, strategy, and the opportunities to play on stages like the Olympics. It is also important in sports to not have prejudice, to treat everyone as equal and thus not have pity for an athlete.
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?
| Is sport for participation or competition?
Sports inherently involve competition as they involve the goal of winning. This can be overshadowed by other goals an athlete may have like having fun or releasing stress, but if there is no goal of winning then there is no strategy, which makes the sport fun or stress releasing. Although sports may involve competition, any goals an athlete may have within the would be lost if they were not able to participate. Therefore, I believe participation comes before competition, but they are both important as the sports values wouldn’t exist without either participation or competition.
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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).
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
| Murderball does both of these things because it does not oppress the athletes masculinity due to their disability rather it allows the athletes to express themselves in terms of their masculinity through the sport. Due to the sport being looked up to in this documentary athletes can have a opportunities to demonstrate their talents and partake in intense competition. Murderball also has instances like the athlete that lives alone and is completely self-sufficient. The athlete takes pride in the fact that he does not need assistance which reinforces the ableist norm of masculinity.
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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 blogger’s critique of this video because it exposes the remaining problems about the Paralympics that the video ignores. It ignores the fact that opportunities in sport are still limited for many people and many paralympic athletes don’t have much future in the sport after competing because their opportunities in coaching and refereeing are limited due to their disability. The identity of superhuman or supercrip also can encourage someone to refuse support or create a narrative that accepting support is weak. This critique is from the blogger having experience with the automatic door button being referred to as the “lazy button”, insinuating that someone that uses it is not overcoming their disability. This is a dangerous narrative as support is essential in making sport accessible to everyone and it is important that everyone can identify as an athlete. This leads to the other critique that the athletes in this video are shown as different, that they are better or worse due to their disability and their ability to play the sport is inspiring, when they should have the right to be viewed the same as anyone else competing in a sport.
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2) Does the film Murderball play into the supercrip narrative in your opinion? How does gender inform supercrip (read this blog for some ideas)?
I do not believe the film Murderball necessarily plays into the supercrip narrative as the athletes are never praised for anything that has to do with their disability. The media is never told any of the athletes journeys and all the athletes have similar disabilities. The athletes are also clear that this is a serious series of games and they don’t want any narratives other than the fact it is Canada vs America and there is a long history between them in wheelchair rugby.
(300 words for each response)
| I did my major assignment on this chapter.
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