3 Ableism and Disablism
Ableism and Disablism are forms of discrimination against people with disabilities. They can happen on individual and societal levels. Disabled people often face discrimination, which can be based on harmful beliefs and attitudes. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), “disability continues to be the most often cited ground of discrimination under the Code in human rights claims made to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario” (2018).
Below, we review these forms of discrimination and their impact on disabled individuals and communities.
Prejudicial beliefs and attitudes largely inform how disability and disabled individuals are perceived and treated. Broadly speaking, disability is construed as something that is abnormal and needs to be fixed. The social construction of what is ‘normal’ vs. what is ‘abnormal’ is informed by dominant views of disability that are ableist. As Davis (2006) informs us, however, “the ‘problem’ is not the person with disabilities; the problem is the way that normalcy is constructed to create the ‘problem’ of the disabled person.”
Ableism
Ableism is the belief that disabled people are less valuable or important than non-disabled people. This can lead to the idea that disabled people should try to do things the same way as non-disabled people (Hehir, 2002). Ableism is also a set of beliefs that make it so disabled people are seen as inferior to non-disabled people and are treated unfairly in society and institutions (Annamma et al., 2013).
Ableism is a deeply entrenched form of discrimination that affects individuals, systems, and culture (Wolbring, 2008). It can be easy to see but can also be hidden. Ableism is shown through our beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, and actions. It played a role in the eugenics movement and can be seen in designs that are not accessible to disabled people. Ableism can also be the belief that disabled people are inspiring. Ableism can also be the belief that disabled people are inspiring. Sarah Young captures the heart of these ableist/inspiration tropes in her talk “I’m not your Inspiration, thank you very much.” Ableism is often hard to recognize and challenge because it is so ingrained in society. Even disability advocates may have a tough time pointing out ableism when they see it (Ladau, 2021).
Ableism is harmful and can lead to oppression. It is not just about using certain words, but that language becomes a tool of oppression (Brown, 2016). Ableism is when people with privilege disregard their privilege and deny how it can be harmful to disabled people (Palacsio, 2017). Marioa Palacios’ poem, Naming Ableism, captures much of what it is like to encounter Ableism daily. Ableism is when people with privilege disregard their privilege and deny how it can be harmful to disabled people (Palacsio, 2017). We recommend you read the poem and reflect on how it shows up your life.
Ableism and Disablism
Some scholars draw distinctions between ableism and another ism: Disablism.
Disablism is the unequal treatment of people because of their actual or perceived disabilities (Kumari Campbell, 2019). It is connected to ableism, which values certain abilities and leads to discrimination against those who are seen as “less able.” Able-bodied privilege refers to the unearned advantages that people without disabilities have (Kattari, 2015). Ableism and able-bodied privilege work together to create a system that discriminates against disabled people.
Ableism and Disablism are forms of discrimination against people with disabilities. While they are similar, they focus on distinct aspects of this discrimination. It is important to understand the distinction between the two to work towards eliminating discrimination and promoting accessibility for disabled people.
REFERENCES
Some parts of this article were remixed from the article Ableism/Disablism by Niagara College licensed under CC BY 4.0 International. The references below relate to this material.
Annamma, S. A., Boele, A. L., Moore, B. A., & Klingner, J. (2013). Challenging the ideology of normal in schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(12), 1278–1294.
Brown, Lydia X. Z. “Ableism Is Not ‘Bad Words.’ It’s Violence.” Autistic Hoya, July 25, 2016; accessed December 1, 2022.
Hehir, T. (2002). Eliminating ableism in education. Harvard Educational Review. 72(1).
Kattari, S. K. (2015). Examining ableism in higher education through social dominance theory and social learning theory. Innovative Higher Education. 40, 375-386.
Kumari Campbell, F. (2019). Contours of ableism: The production of disability and abledness. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ladau, E. (2021). Demystifying disability: What to know, what to say, and how to be an ally. California: Ten Speed Press.
Ontario Human Rights Commission (2018). Accessible education for students with disabilities. Government of Ontario.
Palacios M. G. (2017). “Naming Ableism”. CripStory. https://cripstory.wordpress.com/2017/04/01/naming-ableism (accessed 17 February 2022)
Wolbring, G. (2008) The Politics of Ableism. Society of International Development. 51 (252-258). https://www.academia.edu/289265/The_Politics_of_Ableism
