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.
| While ableism is generally thought to be applied to people with mental and/ or physical disabilities, this concept can also refer to discrimination against other marginalized groups. Ableism generally discriminates against people with disabilities on the grounds that there is only one right way to do things, thus people with disabilities shouldn’t need differential treatment to function the same as people without disabilities. This same argument can be applied in discrimination towards marginalized groups, as for example, ableist people may say that women should not be allowed to compete in sports such as hockey or football with men, as women are generally physically smaller. Furthermore, the opposite argument may be made as ableism, and the concept of “only one right way to do things”, can lead to a lack of sports leagues and gyms that are dedicated to catering towards women specifically. Ableism can also be applied to racism and the health gap which we discussed in earlier modules. Biomedical research and development of health care services are usually focused around the white population, which may not be representative of the physical abilities of a multicultural society as a whole. Due to this, people of colour may be more likely to experience physical disabilities, and/ or experience more severe physical symptoms as treatment is not tailored to suit their needs.
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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 was quite surprised to by the results of the test as it suggests that I have an moderate automatic preference towards physically abled people over physically disabled people. I do not consider myself ableist as I’m sure is the case for most people, however, the web results for this test indicate that 92% of the population experiences some degree of automatic preference for people without disabilities. These test rely on association of positive and negative words with certain categories, and given that most people probably interact with people without disabilities more than people with disabilities, this familiarity could lead to association of non-disabled people with more positive words and vice versa.
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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.
| Pedagogy, in the context of ableism, refers to the inclusion of people with disabilities in different aspects of life. This is important to me because it establishes accessible products and services for all people, not just those without disabilities. In the context of education and physical activity, this is important because it breaks down the barriers preventing people with disabilities from accessing the same opportunities as their peers.
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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?
Barriers to inclusion are any societal norms, or physical impairments that might prevent people with disabilities from engaging in all aspects of society. The authors of this article identify barriers in both the medical model and the social model of disability. In the context of sports, barriers may be grouped into logistical, psychological, or physical categories. Logistical barriers and physical barriers are both external, and may include things like inadequate access to disability-friendly transportation to sporting events, and a lack of equipment and/ or accommodations allowing athletes with disabilities to compete. On the other hand, psychological barriers are considered internal as athletes with disabilities may be made to feel inferior to their non-disabled peers.
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 be grouped by ability or disability?
The idea of grouping sport by ability/ disability I think makes a lot of sense. When grouping sports in this sense, we need to ensure that we are including rather than integrating athletes with disabilities, to ensure everyone’s unique needs are met. If we are not making adjustments to suit the needs of each individual athlete’s abilities, then some will be given an unfair advantage over others. It is also important to remember that disability is not a binary concept and there are a wide range of disabilities impacting the population, so a blanket policy around disability and sports will not necessarily eliminate barriers to participation. The authors of this study make the case for thinking of disability in non-binary terms with the example of deaf athletes. While some authors may not consider deaf a disability in the context of sports, there is still anecdotal evidence to suggest that deaf athletes may benefit both socially and psychologically from sports organizations grouped by their impairment. This goes to show that inclusion of athletes with disabilities through formation of organizations that acknowledge their impairments, is often more beneficial than strict integration of competition between disabled and non-disabled athletes alike.
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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
| After watching the film and reading the article, I would agree that Murderball both celebrates resistance to marginalized masculinity and also reinforces some ableist norms. As the authors of the article address, the athletes do partake in many behaviours associated with toxic masculinity, such as objectifying women’s bodies, however, the movie also showcases some of the positives of masculinity. For example, Joe, the coach of team Canada, seems to have a very positive relationship with his son, and leads the team with optimism and encouragement. As this article notes, the hyper-masculinity displayed by the rugby players is perhaps compensation for some of the vulnerability reflected by their disabilities. With this chip on their shoulders, the rugby players do establish a resistance to marginalized masculinity by identifying with concepts and behaviours associated with hegemonic masculinity.
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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 think this article raises some very interesting points around how athletes with disabilities are portrayed in the media. As the author notes, the overall impression this video is giving off is that the athletes have transcended their disability and are able to do things just like able-bodied people. This is of course not the reality for many people with disabilities, and can be seen as an indirect attack on individuality and undermining of the struggles people with disabilities face. As many paralympians note, they just want to be treated the same as able bodied people, and would much rather discuss/ present their training regiment than repeatedly comment on how their disability affects them. Videos like this are intended to be uplifting, but can also further accentuate the idea that an athlete’s disability is the most central aspect of their performance. To accommodate the needs of athletes with disabilities, we must ensure they are viewed as athletes first and athletes with disabilities second, while still acknowledging that everyone has their own unique requirements.
One study comparing media representation between Croatian and Slovenian athletes in the Paris 2024 paralympics found a significant push towards the supercrip narrative (Poteko & Bartoluci, 2025). The study identifies that this narrative focuses on para-athletes as an inspiration, in that they have ‘overcome’ their disability, or uses para-athletes as a tool for inclusion of people with disabilities in sport or other aspects of society. This article identified some athletes, such as British paralympic sprinter John McFall, as media favourites for perpetuating the supercrip narrative. The article also identifies that politicians in Slovenia and other countries commonly use their nation’s athletes as a source of inspiration, despite contributing very little to the development of sport for athletes with disabilities. Poteko, K., & Bartoluci, S. (2025). Unpacking the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: A Comparative Analysis of Media Representations in Slovenia and Croatia. Communication & Sport, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251330485
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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)
| In my opinion the film Murderball does play into the supercrip narrative, however, the film does also humanize the athletes and acknowledges that they have their own life beyond sports and their disability. The film portrays these paralympians as hyper masculine and incredibly well adapted to their disability, which is perhaps not representative of the experiences many people with disabilities face. As the blog states, the supercrip narrative can cause a sense or failure for people with disabilities who do not live up to the supercrip narrative (Mattlin, 2022). Murderball may play into this idea, as many of the people with disabilities presented in this film are paralympians and thus at the top of the pyramid when it comes to showcasing athletic ability in people with disabilities. Murderball also showcases a form of marginalized masculinity, where many of the athletes are essentially overcompensating for their disability by presenting an extremely masculine image. As the blog notes, this is not uncommon for athletes with disabilities, as much of the media portrayal around people with disabilities has been focused on individuals who are almost capable of impersonating a person without disabilities. Due to this, the supercrip narrative often uses hyper masculinity to present athletes with disabilities as able-bodied, and often undermines the struggles and different experiences faced by athletes with disabilities.
Reference: Mattlin, B. (2022, September 1). I AM NOT YOUR SUPERCRIP. facingdisability.com. 2025, https://facingdisability.com/blog/i-am-not-your-supercrip |
