To me, the Medical Model of Disability feels like the world is telling people there’s something wrong with themthat needs fixing. It focuses on people’s limitations rather than looking at the barriers surrounding them. Instead of seeing people for who they are, they’re seen as a problem that needs to be solved.
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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.
| isms are often looked at in a negative context and abilities can be used negatively against people to make other people look past more important issues. For example a disabled black lady may be desrving of a promotion but the boss doesn’t promote due to her disabilty. In this case he using the ability against the lady and associating her with an ism as the reason, when really he may just be racist.
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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.
| I did the whole test and then it didn’t show me my results. I think the test would be useful if I could see my results and learn from them but in this particular case it was completley useless. All it did was confuse me
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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
Which of the following are NOT defining characteristics of the medical model of disability?
Focus on removing barriers
Focus on the surrounding environment
The social model of disability argues that society disables people by imposing
restrictions and barriers and through attitudes that exclude disabled people from
full participation in society. As such it focuses on disabling
environments rather than impairment.
The social model focuses on removing disabling instead of intervention.
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 like societal attitudes, physical accessibility, lack of awareness, and insufficient resources. These barriers get highlighted in sports, where the focus often leans toward a “one-size-fits-all” approach, failing to account for diverse abilities and needs. Examples include negative perceptions about people with disabilities and sport venues not being designed to accomadate people with disabilities
C) Inclusion, Integration, Separation
Exercise 6: Complete the Activities
Which of the following is premised on the social model of disability? Inlcusion
- Reverse integration entails non-disabled athletes competing alongside disabled people in sports that have been traditionally known as disability sports
2. may lead to the marginalization of disabled people should non-disabled people take over their domain
3. May empower disabled people by facilitating activities that can be undertaken with equal levels of competence and reduce gaps between disabled and non-disabled people
4. May accentuate feelings of difference among disabled people – May be affected by attitudes of disabled and non-disabled people
5. Normalizes exclusion and separation of disabled people within society; Assumes that mainstream providers not responsible for providing opportunities for disabled people; follows medical model
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?
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I think sport is for both participation and competition. To me it depends on the level you are playing the sport at. In general I think youth sports should be mainly built for particpation because we should want to get as many kids as possible involved. Let kids have fun and get them off their Ipads. However, professional sports where players are getting paid or even the highest levels of youth sports such as AAA hockey or Elite baseball should be competition based. Those people know what they signed up for and they are competing to further their careers.
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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).
| TRUE |
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
b) Murderball reinforces ableist norms of masculinity
c) Murderball does neither of these things
d) Murderball does both of these things
Explain why in your notebook:
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D) I believe the film Murderball does both of these things. Murderball showcases wheelchair rugby players who challenge traditional notions of masculinity, especially through their competitiveness, physicality, and aggressive play. This can be seen as a form of resistance to marginalized masculinity rejecting the stereotypes of men with disabilities being weak or passive. On the other hand, the film also highlights moments where the players’ performance of masculinity reinforces ableist norms. Many of the athletes strongly emphasize toughness and victory as signs of strength implying that disabled people must prove themselves through exceptional strength or performance to be valued. |
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 supercrip narrative in the video. It makes it seem like disabled people are only important when they perform extraordinary things. Pretty much just shows how disabled people get treated as superheroes if they do something people expect they cant do and are an after thought if they don’t. Ali Truwit was an example of the supercrip narrative when she won two silver medals after losing her leg in a shark attack. All the media did was talk about her overcoming her adversities and her recovery process, not highlighting the fact that she is legitimatley skilled. Instead of celebrating her for being a great swimmer they made it all about her disability.
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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)
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The Supercrip Narrative is that disabled people are only celebrated when they perform incredible feats that able bodied people can’t believe. The people showcased in murderball are men in wheelchairs that play rugby which is an insanely physical sport and is very dangerous for the players. Although it is very inspiring to see these men get out to play and compete with eachother despite their limitations, the film and even the players just keep emphasizing the toughness and strength that it takes to play as if they are trying to prove themselves as masculine men so that the world can finally embrace them. |
