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.
| By the above quote I believe the authors mean that people who are privileged in their abilities can have a tendency to see themselves as above individuals who do not share those same valued abilities. Society uses these negative ‘isms’ to label people outside of the perceived norms of society as less than.
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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.
| In the age test nothing surprised me, I work with kids and love it. I have worked in an old age before and I was not fond of it, however I do have a soft spot for elderly people as well. The test results demonstrated I have a slight preference for young people, if anything I was a little surprised the preference was only slight as I love working kids.
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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.
| Padlet: Ableism describes discrimination towards people with any kind of disability. This is done through the use of discriminatory terms, by talking down to or looking down on people because of their disabilities. Lack of accessibility seen in public spaces and work environments also presents this ableist idea that people without disabilities as superior to those with disabilities.
Importance to me: This word ableist confronts the sad reality that people with disabilities face social and environmental challenges due to discrimination. Disabilities are beyond the control of the individual, they are not a choice and do not define a person. Ableism describes society’s unfair tendency to value able bodies.
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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 the ways in which society tends to exclude people with disabilities. This exclusion is done in regards to attitudes, participation and accessibility. Negative attitudes presented in society about disability are presented in terms of stereotypes, stares and language. These harmful actions towards people with disabilities can decrease their participation in recreational activities and limit their social interactions. This directly impacts sports, as people with disabilities in sport are often faced with additional social challenges in comparison to able-bodied athletes. Inaccessibility is another major barrier preventing inclusion in society. There are lessened opportunities for people with disabilities, they have limited access to travel, and society has been known to cater to the able bodied majority. In sports transportation to and from games may present a challenge, however a possibly greater challenge is that sports often revolve around the functions of an able body.
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?
| Sports should be for participation over competition. Sports can be an effective stress release, but when competition is prioritized over participation sports can themselves become a stressor. Participation in sports promotes inclusion, enjoyment and determination. These qualities can create better experiences in sport for individuals and can help them to improve their skills. Without participation there is no 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
| The film Murderball (2005) both reinforces ableist norms of masculinity and celebrates a kind of resistance to marginalized masculinity. The film does this by showcasing male athletes in wheelchairs to be competitive, aggressive and determined. All of these traits are often associated with able-bodied male athletes. The film portrays a sense of dominance in sport and the bedroom, again a trait generally assigned to the average able bodied male. The idea of resistance to marginalized masculinity is seen in how the film challenges stereotypes regarding disability, an example is the stereotype that disability depletes masculinity. Every aspect of this film illustrates the men with disabilities to have very masculine traits. While the film projects masculine traits onto the athletes, the emphasis on masculinity overpowers the stories of the athletes and the challenges they face. The film reinforces ableist norms of masculinity by highlighting strength and athleticism as valued traits in sport, masculine traits.
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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 do agree with the majority of the points presented in this critique. Athletes with disabilities may have a tendency to go out their way to show strength and independence. This tendency is largely due to media portrayals of people with disabilities. It is almost as if people with disabilities have to work twice as hard to even be seen as equal to able-bodied people in sport. The fading expectation for athletes with disabilities to be completely independent before competing in sport was inconsiderate of their safety and convenience in their day to day life. The term “supercrip” defines individuals with disabilities as different and almost defines the person by the challenges they have overcome . This can be considered a form of ableism since people with disabilities are looked at under a different light than able bodied people. Paralympic athletes vary in opinions regarding media representations of and narratives surrounding disability. The supercrip narrative can act to overpower the struggles in accessibility by focusing on what people with disabilities have overcome and inferring that means they can overcome seemingly smaller challenges in day to day life. The accomplishments made by people with disabilities are often said to be incredible considering the challenges the disability presents, this takes away from the accomplishment by examining it in a different light than the accomplishments of an able bodied person. The idea that to be a paralympian one just has to have a physical disability and enjoy sports is highly problematic. This idea fails to acknowledge the accomplishment of qualifying for the paralympics, and instead belittles it in comparison to qualifying for the olympics. The 2024 paralympics began to address issues regarding the supercrip by recognizing how labeling success differently in paralympics versus olympics is problematic and diminishing (Smith, 2024).
References Smith H. (2024, August 31). Redefining Inspiration: The Evolving Narrative Of Paralympic Athletes. Crip Life. https://criplife.co.uk/redefining- inspiration-the-evolving-narrative-of-paralympic-athletes/ |
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 film Murderball (2005) both plays into and challenges the supercrip narrative. It illustrates the supercrip narrative by depicting people in wheelchairs as extraordinary in everyday life. While this view is one of a positive outlook, it presents lower expectations for people with disabilities than able-bodied people. Naturally occurring aspects of life including morning routines, sex and hobbies are presented in this film as challenges, by overcoming the challenges disability presents in these films it provides viewers with a superhuman-like narrative of people with disabilities. The emphasis on sex presented in the film objectifies people with disabilities, and portrays disability as a superhuman-like asset in the bedroom. The film challenges the supercrip narrative by exaggerating traits deemed as predominantly masculine in society, including aggression and domination. The film’s use of these exaggerated masculine traits to combat the narrative of supercrip perfectly illustrates how gender intersects with this narrative. Women are frequently compared to men upon examination of traits involving strength and athleticism, women are held to lower expectations regarding sports than are men. It is because of this that women who have success in sport are belittled by the use of phrases like “that’s pretty impressive for a woman” or “you’re just competing with girls,” women are constantly labeled as underdogs in sports. The supercrip narrative becomes even more difficult to challenge for women who have disabilities, it is almost like the narrative comes into effect twice, both disabilities and women have been defined by the obstacles they have overcome instead of by their traits, skills and efforts. Women are confronted with perceived societal norms for their bodies and behavior, and are expected to conform to these societal standards. These standards are unrealistic, describing an hourglass figure body type, and the standards conflict with traits of strength and athleticism. Women with disabilities are held to a double standard which compels them to either fit in with societal norms or combat the supercrip narrative, not both. Gender informs supercrip by the consistent underestimations of women and the societal expectations for women’s bodies.
