What is ableism?
We live in a society where there is a cultural ideal of “able-bodiedness” and pervasive negative stigma against anyone who doesn’t meet this standard. Driven by a medical model that views disabled people as “broken normal people”, there is deeply ingrained ableism in our society.
This perspective can be clearly seen in the ways we talk about disabled people. The “tragedy” narrative that describes a disabled person as “suffering” from their disability and their caregivers as “heroes” reflects a deeply ableist and “othering” perspective. So too does the patronising “superpower” narrative and euphemisms such as “differently abled,” “special needs,” and “physically challenged.” These perspectives invalidate and minimise the very real challenges faced by disabled people.
Disabilities are neither superpowers nor tragedies; they are valid human differences that should be respected and accommodated. Yet typically, the burden of adapting and coping in society and physical environments falls almost entirely on the disabled person. At the same time, abled individuals go about their daily lives experiencing very little (if any) inconvenience.
This needs to change. We need to create a society where individual differences are acknowledged, accommodated, and accepted, not minimised and invalidated. Our social and physical environments must be adapted to allow people not just to survive, but to flourish and thrive.