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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?
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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.
| Question 2: As the authors note, ableism is intersectional and can also be used as rationale for the application of other “ism” labels and treatment. Abilities become evidence in forming a non sequitur argument supporting other forms of discrimination. An example would be how women’s physiological and emotional differences have been used to limit their access to education, the vote, executive positions, and topically – in sport.
Re; Question 1: The first question contained a reference to “able to live a decent life.” When reading the original paper I was somewhat taken aback when I came across this. It comes across a bit sanctimonious. A decent life to me has always been how you treat others, not how far you can climb the upper echelons of Maslow’s pyramid.
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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.
| My test result was: “Your responses suggested a strong automatic preference for Physically Abled People over Physically Disabled People.”
I did a couple of the other Harvard tests as a warm-up before the Implicit Bias test. Each of them were performed with barely an X (wrong answer) and without questioning my responses or any awareness of anything untoward. The Implicit Bias test was completely the opposite. After the initial first section or two in the bias test, I started getting a lot more X’s. But that wasn’t what really surprised me. I already knew the result/outcome halfway through the test because I could strongly feel my bias revealing itself and how easy it was to associate disabilities with “bad”. I think these tests are remarkable because they shortcut and overload your brain and make things more experiential and instinctive than cognitive.
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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.
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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?
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?
| Exercise 5: The authors leverage work by Rankin, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Jackson et al, and Dodd et al, in classifying barriers to inclusion into three main groupings (logistical, physical, and psychological). Logistical and physical barriers are issues surrounding things such as costs, transportation, necessary facilities and equipment, appropriately trained staff, “abled” rulesets, communications challenges (deaf, blind, mental health limitations), etc. Psychological barriers are present in both abled (non-inclusive attitudinal perspectives) and disabled participants (feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem and confidence in abled environments). . Exercise 7: Is sport for participation or competition?The question has many different layers to it. First would be scope; to the individual, to groups such as the disadvantaged, to society as a whole, etc. Second would be conceptual and sport as a vehicle; its role, benefits, and significance. And third would be the level of engagement; amateur or professional.Sport is generally beneficial in all scopes in either participatory or competitive forms and at all levels of engagement. Both forms promote positive physical and mental health outcomes. Conceptually sport is a means of social engagement, a past-time, a physical and emotional release, and a cultural and entertainment spectacle which shapes and influences values and standards. From this perspective, excepting spectacle, both participatory and competitive forms of sport share ownership of these characteristics.The difference between participation and competition is motivation and intent; either to “play” (carefree/fun) or win (intensity/achievement). These are both elements of human nature, and sport exists for, and as a means to fulfill both. |
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).
| True. Both amateur and professional sport have existed since time immemorial, even ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans practiced both. However, professional sport as we know it is about 150 years old, and for the first 100 years was essentially a male domain. Female participation and competition in sport have made huge advances in the past half-century, but from a subjugated and inferior perspective. Most female athletic pursuits are in sports originally created by and for men, and their forms are viewed as lesser versions. Due to the initial century of male lineage, higher participation, greater media representation, and larger compensation, most sport environments are masculine. As a result, women succeeding in them are by transference viewed as masculine. To combat this stereotyping, women must accentuate visible aspects of their femininity. Additionally, in professional sport, most of which is capitalist and controlled by men, women are encouraged to accentuate their femininity and sexuality to garner greater media attention and revenue. |
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 The film Murderball is a powerful humanization of disability. It not only challenges marginalized masculinity via the protagonists attitudes, achievements, and lifestyles, it helps redefine masculinity’s main qualities into healthier definition. Strength is not giving up and becoming dark in the most difficult situations, it is forgiveness, it is helping others. Quadriplegics are one of the most dependently perceived segments of society, and are revealed as the opposite and independently performing acts like driving, cooking, and competing in violent sport. Rugby is a classic example of British Muscular Christianity, and is used as a subliminal method to project masculinity onto the athletes. Were they playing chess or the ribbon in rhythmic gymnastics, their perceived masculinity would have been substantially less. . There was a section fairly early in the film which described the sex lives of the American players, and their attractive heterosexual partners received considerable attention throughout. This was done to promote the masculinity of the players, but at the same time it subconsciously equates these with masculinity, meaning males (disabled and otherwise) without the ability to perform intercourse or without a desirable partner are less of a man. There was also examples throughout of toxic locker room culture and a framing of both individual elements of masculinity (macho personalities, muscles, intensity, hyper-competitiveness, etc.) and aggressive, violent sport (“Murderball”) as positive and to be celebrated. Instead of challenging ableist masculine norms, these simply reinforce them. Joe’s son was a good example, his interest in violin and not sport was initially seen by his father as weakness. |
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.
| a) Yes b) The “Supercrip” narrative refers to the stereotypical framing of disabled individuals (in this case athletes) as “inspiration porn” for overcoming adversity and performing acts similar to “normal” individuals. This creates unrealistic expectations for most disabled people and implicitly carries value judgments about success, worth, and the necessity of overcoming disabilities to perform as, and become, “normal.”The video “We’re the Superhumans” focuses on promoting the ability of elite disabled athletes to perform tasks abled humans can perform. On the surface this celebrates their accomplishments and supports the positive elements of disability, however, by focusing on the exceptional ability of a large group to perform “normal” tasks, the video’s creators are producing and reinforcing the narrative that success as a disabled individual is becoming normal. It is also an oversimplification that utilizes the athletes in a commodified manner, rather than speaking in even the slightest manner to larger issues disabled people face regarding accessibility and discrimination.c) A “supercrip” example from Paris last year would be Matt Stutzman, the “Armless Archer.” In the media he is referred to as a pioneer, inspiration, trailblazer, etc. and always in a one-dimensional manner similar to early coverage of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius. All of the press coverage is Disneyfied and refers to his hero’s journey from social welfare recipient to world champion, family breadwinner, and role model. This creates an unrealistic and misleading ideal of “good” disabled athletes, and marginalizes other disabled individuals for not overcoming their disabilities to perform at a superhuman level. |
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)
| a) Yes and no. The film definitely frames the individuals as remarkably overcoming adversity and ableist norms. However, it also offers a more realistic focus by providing anti-hero depictions of the main characters, wider depiction of disability issues (systemic barriers, negative mainstream attitudes, etc.), and a balanced portrayal of competition as both healthy and unhealthy (i.e. the complicated protagonist Joe).
Much of the film is spent showing the physical, mental, and emotional challenges the players face, and always presents this in a sentimental “inspiration porn” manner to provide viewers with a good feeling. This centres disability on the player’s disabilities and their act of conquering them, rather than on society and it’s barriers, attitudes, biases, etc. This misdirection is best summed up in Ben Mattlin’s concluding statement, echoing the Social Model of disability and Crip Theory: “There’s nothing wrong with me as I am. And if that’s not good enough for you, then you’re the one who needs to work harder.” b) The players are independent, competitive, and successful. But as Mattlin observes, the players on the USA team, as well as their competitors, are also all white, presented as heterosexual cis-gender, and hyper-masculine almost toxic macho. Beyond the segments on sexuality, there are no references to race, gender, or class. These become invisible in the undercurrent of supercrips as disabled versions of stereotypical white hetero maleness.
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