So, most people are keenly aware that racist and sexist comments are not politically correct or generally acceptable (I will state that these beliefs are still very strong). Sadly, classist, xenophobic, transphobic, heteronormative, and to some extent homophobic prejudices are still pretty much the norm.
I’m not going to be talking about those today. I’m talking about ableism. Ableism in the simplest meaning are societal prejudices about people with disabilities. It takes the assumption that being able-body, having a neurotypical mindset, boundless physical and mental endurance, etc. are normal. People that don’t fall into this category are abnormal.
The United States Census bureau estimates that there are 51 million people with disabilities in the US, placing it as the highest populated minority group. When you picture someone with a disability, what do they look like? Let me guess: a man using a wheelchair of European descent.
For people with these obvious signs of disability (also known as assistive devices), there’s no pretending to be non-disabled. That said, two-thirds of disabled persons have an “invisible disability;” they use no cane or hearing aid. They pass as being normal; they can pretend to be part of the privileged able-bodied population.
So, what else is there to an ableist mindset?
I’m not disabled. Disabled rights do not mean anything to me. I have had a poem, memorized since before I learned I was disabled that I feel is relevant:
First, they came for the gypsies, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a gypsy.
Then, they came for the Bolsheviks, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Bolshevik.
Then, they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics. I didn’t speak up then because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me.
[Attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller. This is not his preferred version, but it is the one I learned.]
Do not ever assume that something does not apply to you. It very well may one day, and in the case of disability, it is very likely it will.
Dying is better than having a disability. How many people have uttered “I would rather die than” be blind, be in a wheelchair, etc? It assumes that people living with their disabilities are either admirable for “persevering” or too cowardly to take their own lives. Heaven forbid that someone just live their life.
Invisible disabilities do not exist. Yes, they do exist. But, hey, feel free to ignore medical evidence and believe that everyone is lying.
That not being able-bodied is a tragedy which one “suffers” and must desire a cure. Perhaps initially, but one eventually needs to accept reality. At which point, it’s not suffering; it’s a way of being. Cures are just not going to happen with a lot of disabilities; a person accepts this and enjoys their life to its fullest.
Disabilities, particularly invisible ones, are easy to fake. First, no it’s not, particularly not for a lifetime. Second, there isn’t any real benefit. A person with a disability is ridiculed for it. Extra time on exams or quiet environments, accommodations I receive, have both been proven to give no testing improvement to a non-disabled person.
A disabled person is less valuable than an able-bodied one. This comes up a lot in discussions about abortion; one would obviously not want a child with a disability. The implication being that the choice is made solely based on how normal the child will be. I will state that being female has, and in some countries still is, considered a disability. Is that also acceptable?
I do not advocate anti-choice. Yet, I do take offense to people being put into categories as being not of equal value. What if we reverse it? A disabled woman wants to abort a normal fetus. Does this fetus have more rights to her body?
People with X disability also always has Y disability. While there is cormordality between some disabilities, this does not mean that it is always true or even mostly true. A person who is blind is very rarely also deaf. Someone who is deaf is not mute by default. Someone with attention deficit is not necessarily also developmentally challenged. A speech impairment does not prove a language deficiency.
A disabled person is required to disclose his or her disability and prove it. This is equivalent to me asking someone about their last bowel movement; it’s none of my damn business.
A person is defined by their disability. This is a very limited view; it would be equivalent to defining an able-bodied person solely on their English capabilities. It’s narrow and assumes a disabled person only ever thinks about their disability.
Everyone is a little disabled. No. Everyone may be a little inconvenienced, but they are not disabled. Disability is defined by it making normal daily activities more difficult. An able-bodied person may be tired at the end of a 10 hour shift. A disabled person may be tired at the start of it.
My sister/friend/partner/person I know has a X disability! I know how it feels! No, a person can only know what it feels like to be themselves. That said, this is a very depowering statement; it trivializes the experience of the referred person and the person one is currently addressing. It reduces time living with a disability to a series of observations, and don’t think for one moment that it’s all the worst or best parts. Even in the case of “I have X disability, too,” that does not mean the experiences are the same.
Having/overcoming a disability is so strong/enlightened/inspiring. Putting someone on a pedestal is just as objectifying as treating them like garbage. It used to be “he’s done so well , for a colored person” that was said. Doesn’t sound so okay anymore, does it?
