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?
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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.
| When the authors talk about Ableism intersecting with other forms of oppression and often used to justify such negative ‘isms’, it is referring to people justifying being able to look down upon someone less able in all forms of oppression. An example would be if there were an Asian person who was also disabled might be excluded from extracurricular activities and also face feeling belittled by racism. People would use the disability as an excuse for that person being “unable” to participate when there could be underlying factors of racism as well but that gets discussed by using the “excuse.”
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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.
| Unfortunately, my results did not surprise me. It makes me sad and feels ashamed to admit my results that were 37% “Strong automatic preference for abled people compared to disabled people”. But I know where it stems from, I do not think disabled people are less capable, and this is not an excuse for my findings but my dad was disabled because of a lung condition before he got a transplant and he was unable to do many things he enjoys because of it, and my friend’s sister has cerebral palsy and is unable to do many things on her own, I still interact with her as much as possible because I know that even severely disabled people still have feelings and emotions and in general are still a person. As well as my mom works at a barn that is specifically for disabled people to learn to ride horses, and interact with farm animals and farm activities, and I have been there many times to see the involvement and the capability they have. But I think the reason for the results of my test is that it comes from sadness and how I feel bad because the disabled people in my life are unable to do certain things. I did not like the choice of “bad” words the test chose. I think this is why the emotions of shame come from after completing this test because those “bad” words do not accurately represent my feelings at all, they just stem from some sadness that is even directed towards myself that it is unfair and I wish disabled people where able to do everything. I am not saying they can’t but from people like my dad and friend’s sister they are not, so I think that is where that comes from.
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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.
Ability Security
Regardless of the differences or setbacks one might have because of physical or mental barriers, they are still feeling supported and feel that they can function through life on their own, knowing there are help resources and opportunities available so they can live life able to overcome differences. Having support and opportunities that can be given to people with disabilities so that they do not feel outcast but feel heard and seen, and that these resources will be able to help them succeed in life on their own
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?
There are many barriers to inclusion that Fitzgerald and Long identify, specifically how these relate to sports. There is mention of how even when people attempt to include disabled people they often are not fully included, that can relate to sports as if there was a game of soccer, the disabled people although maybe accepted to play end up staying on the sidelines. This can extend to disabled people being discouraged in other aspects of their life. As well as teaches not valuing their abilities or skills and having to play separate games or be separated from the rest of the class.
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?
| 3. Should sports competitions be integrated?
I think that the points brought up by Fitzgerald and Long make sense for this question. How we can and should integrate sports, when we make separate competitions for disabled people and able people we are further excluding disabled people for no reason other than because they are different. I do agree in a sense that yes certain spots should be grouped by ability and disability because of some physical factors but I think we should be able to have for example a soccer tournament that has 8 soccer fields, they can split the fields and all play on the same day, rather than having both and separate days. This could help both able and disabled kids become better equipped to not treat each other differently and ultimately to see that both are able.
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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).
| Coming from myself, a woman who plays sports, you want to be strong in your sport, especially as a female because we essentially have something to prove that we belong there, but then we get categorized as being too masculine and a common issue is that stats the narrative that women in sports are lesbian. So women have to fit the “happy medium” in a society where women should show up to their sport in feminine clothes wear makeup, not work out too much so that they are not too muscular, and not pick up on sports lingo then they can compete in a sport and not be categorized as masculine. |
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
| I think that Murderball both celebrates a kind of resistance to marginalized masculinity and reinforces ableist norms of masculinity. Murderball shows how disabled men can be successful in sports and be aggressive and how that shows they are still masculine. This fights against norms that disabled people are not able to be masculine or are weaker then able men, but when looking at it from a different perspective it shows the only way for a disabled man to be seen as masculine is through sports. Sports give the feeling of being dominant and aggressive and thus masculine, but other than sports this film does not show any other characteristic of how masculinity can be felt or shown for disabled men when not involved in sports.
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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 did agree with the critique of the “supercrip” narrative in the video. Because I can understand how it is singling out that Paralympic athletes are different, the words sang “we can do it” claim that people think differently than them and they are showing how they are capable, and although yes people do see them as different, as the critique says that is what they are trying to get away from. It can send the message to people who do not view the Paralympics as different to look closer to why they are different when saying we can do it and adding to what they are trying to get away from. Also with all the dancing and singing, does take away from the view of the sports aspects. That is something I noticed in the video I watched for the 20204 Paris Paralympics, the beginning of the video I did not like, is an amination that reminded me of a Tinkerbell movie since it goes below the grass, and if people are looking into it, it can give the impression of kind of underground, not seen, and forgotten. That is the extreme take to showing how they are different or less able, and it is only at the beginning but since I am a marketing consultant I notice the things that could be perceived in a wrong way, I also did not like that it was animation because it gave the illusion of kid-like. But I could see the vision because a quote comes on the screen saying “We are not playing games” and then goes into real clips of Paralympic athletes being very aggressive at their sports. And that is where I would disagree with the critics if the whole clip was like that, but unfortunately, it is just the last bit. That last bit shows the power and passion of strong athletes without highlighting their differences. I think if the Paralympics could make full clips like the last bit of this video it would really change the way people view Paralympians and just showcase them as athletes.
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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)?
(300 words for each response)
| Yes, I do think that the film Murderball plays into the supercrip narrative, after reading the blog as well I do think that this film demonstrates the naivety that disabled athletes have to work twice as hard and to do something big to get treated as a normal person. Especially when relating it to the critiques of the “supercrip” and how she says “as if a little basketball cured my brain damage”, films like Murderball kind of seem like they are trying to fit the notion that they are beating the narrative and overcoming their differences. But this film also plays into disabled athletes “overcoming” their differences by trying to be seen as an able athlete, by showing off what they can do with a disability being the key factor to gain respect, to show they are different. As previously mentioned gender plays a huge role in this film showing how disabled male athletes need to fit masculinity standards in sports that mimic able athletes to be respected and show that they are masculine. Gender plays a huge role in this film that ads to playing into the supercrip narrative, especially because when we look at able-athlete films, most are showing a vulnerable side of emotions and showing the whole other side of sports that able males can play into and show and still be seen as an inspiration. If there was a film about a disabled athlete and it showed the vulnerable and emotional side of things it would not be viewed as masculine, so that is why this film plays into the supercrip narrative because it shows that they are different in sport and embodying able masculinity tactics because it would not get attention if it was shown in a different light about just disabled athletes as athletes.
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