Ableism

Ableism can be malicious or "well-intentioned"

Ableism is hard to recognize. Discrimination in favor of able bodied people is so normal, ubiquitous, and accepted in society that we often don’t notice it even when we are being subjected to it.

-- Lori Madeira Dec 21, 2019

Anyone of any degree of physical or non-physical ability can have/exhibit ability-based prejudice; nondisabled people typically have exceedingly much, comparatively, of the institutional power. Therefore, ableism does not merely manifests as individual prejudice; but also as systematized discrimination, antagonism, or exclusion directed against disabled people. I.e. how the system of society is built is often woefully neglectful of the needs of disabled people.

-- Collegatus reworking of an online text.

Ableism is a type of supremacism that leads to devaluing people based on their perceived or factual lack of ability, where such devaluation serves no social wealth. While devaluing someone for lacking flight skills in the case of him flying a plane is ordinarily useful, rejecting a pilot for reading disabilities may be entirely superfluous and unhelpful (and could even lead to the rejection of master pilots). The latter case is a case of ableism. This devaluing can serve as motivation for injustice against those perceived as disabled. We may thus speak of ableist injustice, including ableist prejudice, blame, exclusion, aggression and hate. Anyone of any degree of physical or non-physical ability can have/exhibit ability-based injustice. Ontario Human Rights Commission (r. 5.19) defines ‘ableism’ as a concept that refers to attitudes in society that devalue and limit the potential of persons with disabilities.

When The Washington Post published a piece detailing how a Starbucks employee mocked a customer for stuttering while ordering a drink at Starbucks, I wasn’t surprised. In fact, as a person who also stutters, I was resigned.

I can’t even count the number of times an interaction with a stranger has left me feeling disrespected and defeated — the banker, the customer, the men I’ve dated, just to name a few.

But the incident at Starbucks did surprise me in one way: After the barista openly mocked the customer, Sam, for his stutter — first in conversation and again by printing his drink label in a pejorative fashion (“SSSam”) — people took action.

Rachel Hoge 07/19/2018 08:01 am ET Updated Jul 19, 2018

Ableism is "analogous to racism, sexism or ageism, [and] sees persons with disabilities as being less worthy of respect and consideration, less able to contribute and participate, or of less inherent value than others. Ableism may be conscious or unconscious, and may be embedded in institutions, systems or the broader culture of a society. It can limit the opportunities of persons with disabilities and reduce their inclusion in the life of their communities. [**] Discrimination against people with mental health or addiction issues is often linked to prejudicial attitudes,[47] negative stereotyping,[48] and the overall stigma[49] surrounding mental health and addictions. All of these concepts are interrelated. For example, stereotyping, prejudice and stigma can lead to discrimination. The stigma surrounding mental health and addictions can also be an effect of discrimination, ignorance, stereotyping and prejudice." 

Ableism System is a systematized discrimination, antagonism, or exclusion directed against people with disabilities. Anti-Ableism is strategies, theories, actions, and practices that challenge and counter ableism, inequalities, prejudices, and discrimination based on developmental, emotional, physical, or psychiatric (dis)ability.

Ableist Microaggressions are commonplace verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults in relation to developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric (dis)ability. They are structurally based and invoke oppressive systems of a "normal ability" hierarchy. Ableist Microinvalidations, Microinsults, Microassaults are specific types of microaggressions.

Note: The prefix “micro” is used because these are invocations of normalized ability hierarchy at the individual level (person to person), where as the "macro" level refers to aggressions committed by structures as a whole (e.g. an organizational policy). "Micro" in no way minimalizes or otherwise evaluates the impact or seriousness of the aggressions.

History

Highly ableist societies institutionally discriminate against people with disabilities and go to extreme lengths at marking them ass less valuable to society, or even less than human. The eugenics movement of the early 20th century could be considered an example of a widespread movement overlapping with ableism. The mass murder of disabled in the German Nazi Government's Aktion T4 could be an extreme example of ableism.

• Related: Ableism in the USSR; Ableism in the Middle-Ages.

Definitional

Ableism is pronounced /ˈeɪblɪzəm/ (also known as ablism,^[1] disablism, anapirophobia, anapirism, disability discrimination, and handicapism) . See ableist words to avoid.

"Disablism — A set of assumptions (conscious or unconscious) and practices that promote the differential or unequal treatment of people because of actual or presumed disabilities. — Stopableism dot org r.Jan19

"Ableism – The practices and dominant attitudes in society that devalue and limit the potential of persons with disabilities. A set of practices and beliefs that assign inferior value (worth) to people who have developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric disabilities. — Stopableism dot org — r.Jan19

Media

Glossary of Ableist phrases — Last updated 17 December 2018. Page created in or before July 2012 (exact date unknown). @ autistichoya dot com

«Unboxing Ableism» presented by Dylan, at Seriously.TV • Published on Dec 13, 2016 •

Branching

• See: Ability; Disability; Disease; Immobility;
• A type of: Prejudice; Snob; Discrimination; Exclusion; Hate; Hate Thought; Hate activity; Classism.
• Related: Speciesm; Racism; Classism, Aggression.
• Worsened by e.g. Pseudo-medical prejudice; Prejudice in Medicine; Snob; Anti-Altruism; Microaggressions.
• Mitigated by: Enlightenment; Vindication; Scientific vindication.