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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.
| The declaration emphasizes how ableism, or discrimination against people with disabilities, connects with other types of oppression including racism, sexism, ageism, and classism. This indicates that negative attitudes and systemic prejudices about skills can overlap and intensify discrimination based on race, gender, age, or socioeconomic 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.
| The Harvard Implicit Bias Test (IAT) can help individuals identify unconscious biases that may impact their behaviour and decision-making. Biases can be deeply ingrained and effect judgments without our knowledge, thus the outcomes may surprise us at times. This exam, while informative, does not necessarily represent a person’s ideals or goals, but rather identifies implicit linkages established by culture and society. It can be an excellent beginning point for self-reflection and prejudice reduction.
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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 is discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities based on their perceived inferiority. It might take the form of physical impediments, social attitudes, or capability assumptions. Ableism frequently overlaps with other types of oppression, such as racism or sexism, posing additional obstacles for oppressed groups.
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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 highlight many impediments to inclusion, including structural, cultural, and institutional issues. These include inaccessible facilities, a lack of financing or adaptable equipment, insufficient media coverage, and social attitudes that devalue handicapped people’s involvement. In sports, these barriers appear as restricted possibilities for impaired athletes, a scarcity of competent coaches, and exclusionary regulations or competition formats. Cultural conceptions of athleticism frequently favour able-bodied norms, which reinforces ableist beliefs. These constraints not only limit participation, but also reduce the visibility and validity of impaired athletes, making it more difficult for sports to become truly inclusive and reflective of varied abilities.
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?
| Should sport competitions be integrated?
Integrating sport events may help athletes with disabilities gain inclusion and prominence, challenge ableist standards, and create mutual respect. However, it raises questions about fairness, particularly when athletes have varying physical or cognitive capacities. Integration works best when smart changes guarantee that all players compete fairly. It can also assist to reduce social stigma by presenting varied skills in public areas. However, it is critical to sustain specific handicap sport events that provide community, empowerment, and individualized assistance. Ideally, sport should provide both integrated and separate chances, depending on the situation and the participants’ requirements and preferences.
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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).
| It is 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
| (d) Murderball does both of those things.
Murderball features players with impairments who demonstrate power, aggressiveness, and competitiveness—qualities that are frequently associated with conventional masculinity. In doing so, the film rejects the image of crippled men as weak or dependent, posing a strong challenge to marginalized masculinity. However, it supports ableist standards by focusing masculinity on physical domination and aggressiveness, mimicking able-bodied ideals. Emotional fragility and different kinds of masculinity are notably lacking, implying a narrow understanding of what it means to be a “man” in sports. While the film inspires, it also risks limiting our understanding of masculinity via an ableist perspective.
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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.
| The “supercrip” narrative, which is frequently observed in media coverage of impaired sports, portrays people with disabilities as inspirational heroes merely because they participate in or succeed at activities that able-bodied people take for granted. I agree with the assessment of this tale, which, although appearing favourable on the surface, promotes damaging prejudices. Rather of rewarding impaired athletes for their skill, devotion, and competitive accomplishments, it frequently emphasizes their impairment as something they have heroically “overcome.” This pulls the attention away from their athleticism and into their psychological struggles, which may be insulting and reduces their identity to their disability. Ellie Challis, a British swimmer competing in the 2024 Paris Paralympics, exemplifies how the “supercrip” myth plays out. After winning gold in the S3 50-meter backstroke, several media sources focused on her recovery from meningitis and subsequent leg amputations rather than her athletic preparation or technique. The narrative was presented as a triumph of the soul rather than the outcome of intensive physical training and expertise. While her story is unquestionably amazing, the emphasis on her impairment and “overcoming adversity” may obscure her identity as a top-tier athlete. This narrative may also place pressure on other handicapped people to reach unattainable criteria of heroism in order to be perceived as valued or honourable. It perpetuates ableist views by distinguishing between those who “achieve” and others who live ordinary lives with impairments, thus dividing the handicapped community itself. Instead, coverage should focus on athletes’ strategy, training, and successes, just as it does for their able-bodied counterparts. Recognizing the complexities and diversity of experiences in disability sport helps to challenge ableist conventions and enables for a more complete, accurate representation of handicapped persons, both on and off the field.
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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)
| The documentary Murderball explores the world of wheelchair rugby, including athletes who challenge stereotypes of handicap. While the film challenges stereotypes by highlighting the intensity and competitiveness of these athletes, it also addresses the “supercrip” narrative, in which people with disabilities are portrayed as heroic simply for participating in activities that non-disabled people do. Murderball celebrates athletes’ perseverance and drive, highlighting their capacity to “overcome” physical constraints. This framing, although uplifting, may unintentionally encourage ableist beliefs by implying that people with disabilities are special only when they overcome their shortcomings. Such narratives risk marginalizing people who do not accomplish at this level, indicating that their worth is dependent on their capacity to overcome disability-related obstacles. Gender significantly influences the supercrip narrative in the film. The image of wheelchair rugby athletes is consistent with traditional ideals of masculinity, stressing aggression, physical power, and competition. By emphasizing these characteristics, Murderball fosters a certain male ideal that associates worth with physical strength. This junction of ableism and masculinity implies that in order to be judged respectable, men with disabilities must demonstrate hyper-masculine features, potentially marginalising other manifestations of male identity and reinforcing gendered stereotypes. In conclusion, although Murderball explores new ground by highlighting athletes with impairments and challenging some conventional prejudices, it also maintains the supercrip myth. The film’s emphasis on typical male characteristics as indicators of success highlights the complicated relationship between gender and disability, emphasizing the need for more nuanced depictions that celebrate varied manifestations of identity without perpetuating restrictive preconceptions.
Extra Credit Murderball exemplifies resistance to both disability and gender stereotypes by focusing on the lives of professional wheelchair rugby players who question traditional notions of what it means to be strong, male, and independent. Rather of depicting the athletes as docile or pitiable, the film depicts them as aggressive, competitive, and unabashedly assertive—all characteristics normally associated with hegemonic masculinity. Their involvement in an intensive, full-contact sport immediately challenges preconceptions of persons with disabilities as being weak, frail, or reliant. At the same time, Murderball’s athletes reject limiting handicap narratives by refusing to be defined only by their infirmities. They are presented as smart, strategic players with a strong sense of purpose, rather than as sympathetic figures. This exposure challenges the marginalization that handicapped people frequently suffer in mainstream sports and media. Rather than just adhering to able-bodied criteria, they redefine strength by emphasizing adaptability, resilience, and collaboration. The film also challenges masculinity by depicting periods of weakness, such as struggling with identity after an accident or navigating relationships and sexuality. These honest representations call into question the notion that masculinity inevitably equates to domination or emotional suppression. The athletes extend the idea of masculinity by include interdependence, emotional expressiveness, and adaptation. By refusing to be inspiring or tragic characters, the athletes in Murderball reclaim their stories on their own terms. They challenge cultural norms by proving that strength isn’t restricted to physical ability, independence doesn’t imply isolation, and masculinity isn’t tied to a narrow, able-bodied stereotype. The video serves as a compelling reminder that effective resistance requires authentic representation—showing individuals with disabilities as multifaceted, competent, and completely human.
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