"Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people with physical or mental disabilities."
The discrimination and oppression of people with disabilities in society, culture, and literature.
Definition of Ableism: Ableism refers to the discrimination and prejudice people with disabilities face due to their physical or mental impairments. The term encompasses a wide range of attitudes and treatment towards individuals with disabilities and also includes the societal and systemic barriers that prevent them from accessing essential services and opportunities.
Models of Disability: A model of disability refers to an approach that defines the way in which society views and interacts with individuals who have disabilities. There are various models of disability ranging from the medical model that sees disability as a medical problem to the social model that views disability as a social construct.
Disability Studies: Disability studies is an interdisciplinary field that concentrates on the social, cultural, historical, and political aspects of disabilities. This area of study involves disability advocacy, activism, and research that explore the experiences, perspectives, and contributions of people with disabilities.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations, such as race, gender, class, and disability status, and how they influence an individual's experiences of discrimination and oppression. Understanding the intersectionality of various identities can help identify and address the unique challenges that people with disabilities face in different contexts.
Language of Disability: Language has a considerable impact on attitudes towards disability and affects how people with disabilities are viewed and treated. Understanding the language of disability, such as person first language and identity first language, can help to promote inclusive and respectful attitudes.
Accessibility: Accessibility refers to the provision of systems, resources, and environments that allow individuals with disabilities to participate fully in their communities. Understanding accessibility is essential to ensure that people with disabilities are not excluded from essential services, places, and activities.
Disability Rights: Disability rights refer to the legal protections and guarantees that ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to opportunities and services. Understanding disability rights is essential to advocate for inclusion and equality for people with disabilities.
Psychological Impacts of Ableism: Ableism can have severe psychological impacts on individuals with disabilities, leading to stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and internalized ableism. Understanding the psychological impacts of ableism is vital to recognize the different ways it can affect people with disabilities.
Historical Context: The cultural and historical context of disability and ableism is crucial in understanding the evolution of disability rights movements and perspectives on disability. Studying historical contexts provides insight into how disability has been viewed and treated throughout history and informs current understandings of ableism.
Media Representations: Media representations of disability can shape attitudes and perceptions towards people with disabilities. Understanding media representations and advocating for accurate and inclusive portrayals is essential to combat stereotypes and promote disability visibility and acceptance.
Individual ableism: This is when a person discriminates against someone based on their disability, often through stereotypes and assumptions about their abilities.
Institutional ableism: This refers to the policies and practices of institutions that exclude or discriminate against individuals with disabilities.
Cultural ableism: This is when a society or culture perpetuates stereotypes and discrimination against people with disabilities, often through media representation.
Internalized ableism: This refers to when people with disabilities internalize the negative messages and stereotypes they encounter, leading them to have negative attitudes about themselves and their abilities.
Environmental ableism: This refers to when physical or social environments are designed in ways that exclude or discriminate against people with disabilities.
Epistemological ableism: This refers to the ways in which knowledge about disability is constructed, often through ableist assumptions and perspectives.
Language ableism: This is when language is used to perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination against people with disabilities, such as through the use of ableist slurs.
Economic ableism: This refers to the ways in which people with disabilities are excluded from economic opportunities and resources.
"Ableism characterizes people as they are defined by their disabilities and it also classifies disabled people as people who are inferior to non-disabled people."
"Ableism is discrimination in favor of non-disabled people, while disablism is discrimination against disabled people."
"These stereotypes, in turn, serve as a justification for discriminatory practices, and reinforce discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward people who are disabled."
"Labeling affects people when it limits their options for action or changes their identity."
"In ableist societies, the lives of disabled people are considered less worth living, or disabled people less valuable, even sometimes expendable."
"The eugenics movement of the early 20th century is considered an expression of widespread ableism."
"Ableism can be further understood by reading literature which is written and published by those who experience disability and ableism firsthand."
"Disability studies is an academic discipline which is also beneficial when non-disabled people pursue it in order to gain a better understanding of ableism."
"People are assigned or denied certain perceived abilities, skills, or character orientations based on ableism."
"Anapirophobia and anapirism are psychological concepts associated with ableism."
"For instance, the presumption that all disabled people want to be cured, the presumption that wheelchair users also have an intellectual disability, or the presumption that blind people have some special form of insight."
"These stereotypes... serve as a justification for discriminatory practices, and reinforce discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward people who are disabled."
"Ableism reinforces attitudes and behaviors that view disabled people as inferior or less valuable."
"Labeling affects people when it limits their options for action or changes their identity."
"Ableism is also known as ablism, disablism (British English), anapirophobia, anapirism, and disability discrimination."
"In ableist societies, the lives of disabled people are considered less worth living, or disabled people less valuable, even sometimes expendable."
"Non-disabled people can gain a better understanding of ableism by pursuing disability studies."
"Labeling affects people when it... changes their identity."
"These stereotypes serve as a justification for discriminatory practices."