a·ble·ism
noun
1. discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.
What is ableism, exactly?
Ableism is discrimination in favor of able-bodied people, and there are MANY ways in which it can manifest. Whether conscious or subconscious, ableism affects people with disabilities in a negative way — a way that people without disabilities could never truly understand. So if you don’t have a disability, and you’ve never given much thought to this particular “ism,” it’s time to start listening, learning, and unlearning from those who know it best through living it.
For this topic, we interviewed our founder, Rob Tortorella. Rob has been using a wheelchair for all aspects of mobility since sustaining a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis from a motor vehicle accident just days after his college graduation. It’s important to note here that people with disabilities are not a monolith. While Rob has experienced life before and after sustaining a spinal cord injury, we are all shaped by our own individual experiences. For this reason, we encourage you to check out a variety of resources on this topic from different voices and, as always, never make assumptions.
Rob shared with us some of the most common comments he gets on a regular basis as someone who uses a wheelchair — mostly from complete strangers who don’t know him personally. While these comments inherently cross personal boundaries, they are also quite ableist microaggressions, so let’s break them down and discuss why that is.
Ableism & Language
The comments:
“Do you mind if I pray over you?”
“If you pray more, God can heal you”
Rob’s personal favorite: “I knew someone in a wheelchair who couldn’t walk and God healed them. If you pray more he should heal you too.”
What makes this ableist: Unless this same stranger offers to pray for every single person they come across, disability or not, they are being truly ableist. Why? They are assuming that because Rob is in a chair, he must wish he wasn’t. He must be sad, he must not have a great life, he must want or need to be prayed for. Ultimately the message sent here is that “your existence is tragic because of your disability and therefore I will ‘help’ you by praying.”
Ouch! Let’s not assume that one’s disability is tragic and terrible but rather just one of the many things that make them who they are as a person. Telling someone they can be “healed” by the power of God is an assumption that they feel “broken” in the first place. The comments create an implication that the person with a disability is less-than, or suffering, or that their disability is bad rather than just an inevitable and normal variance in the human experience.
For many people, their disabilities or abilities are a part of who they are — a part that they cherish and value. Language that assumes people don’t want to be the way they are and that they would rather not have a certain disability is language that favors able-bodied people as superior and more desirable.
The takeaway: Okay, there’s a lot to unpack here… Not only do these comments cross a line in assuming one’s religious beliefs, but seeing someone in a chair and making an immediate assumption that they must be prayed for is an unfair and misplaced judgment on the quality of their life.
A golden rule that we can stick by? Treat others as you would want to and expect to be treated. If someone came up to me, an able-bodied person, and asked to pray for me, I would immediately assume I must look miserable and in need of divine intervention. What a blow to the self-confidence! Now, if I were crying, screaming in pain, or asking for support, I might appreciate the sentiment…but just for living everyday life? Not so much. Think about the underlying meaning your words may have prior to making comments and encourage others to think about it too.
The comments: “Hey, great to see you out!”, “Look how independent you are!”, “You’re doing a great job!”, “You’re an inspiration!”
What makes this ableist: Although intended or sounding like a compliment, many comments like these use language that perpetuates the notion that living with a disability is worse than living without one. Is the action or observation that sparks the comment impressive if you remove the person’s disability from the equation, or are they just living life to its fullest?
It’s okay to recognize that people with disabilities inherently have to overcome more barriers than people without, but it’s not okay to assume that they couldn’t lead a full and productive lifestyle. Rather than being surprised, or saying how inspiring it is to see someone out and about, think to yourself about how important accessibility is, to ensure that more people using a wheelchair or mobility device can have the same opportunity to be in the space you’re in.
The takeaway: While there are almost always good intentions behind these sentiments, some good intentions do no good at all. Calling someone out for living their lives despite their disability is underlying how much worse you think it must be for them to live with that terrible “affliction.”
It shouldn’t be inspiring to see a grown man successfully leading an independent life just because he uses a chair for mobility. Do we know that people with disabilities have more barriers to overcome than people without? Yes, because we live in an ableist society where the world around us wasn’t built for people of all abilities. Should we be expecting that world to hold them back and be astonished when they persevere? Absolutely not. We do not usually give ourselves a round of applause for just existing as functioning humans. We can be aware and not take for granted the physical limitations we don’t have to overcome in everyday life without being condescending towards people who navigate our physical spaces differently.
“There are always assumptions about independent driving, living alone, taking care of my place, and ability to work a full-time job. I guess I really never paid attention too much to the assumptions and people’s preconceived notions. Like everybody else, we just find a way to get it done. Sometimes with assistance and sometimes a little extra perseverance.”
Ableism & Design
Now, let’s explore ableism in another, less obvious context — from a grassroots design perspective.
The scenario: Choosing an inaccessible venue for a meeting or event, therefore excluding some people with disabilities.
What makes this ableist: By choosing an inaccessible venue, you’re choosing to exclude those who use mobility devices. It doesn’t exactly say “all are welcome” when there are steps to get in, no accessible bathrooms, no braille on signage, etc. Either you’re committed to including everyone, or you aren’t.
The takeaway: Pay attention to the spaces you choose to utilize and make sure that you’re choosing them with accessibility in mind. By prioritizing inclusive and accessible spaces, you’re demanding equity of access as a standard of your values and to earn your business. This will ultimately contribute to more places and spaces being designed with accessibility in mind from the start.
The scenario: Building a website, marketing materials, or promotional videos that aren’t accessible to everyone.
What makes this ableist: When closed captioning and audio/visual descriptions or other accessibility measures are not standard practice in your messaging, then your messaging becomes ableist. Ensure that your content is inclusive and accessible to all audience members by reviewing factors like:
- Text size, contrast, and readability
- Closed (optional) or Open (permanent) captions on all videos. Remember that not all automatic caption generators are accurate! Be sure to double-check your subtitles to send the right message to all audiences.
- Alt-text descriptions on images used across social media and websites to describe important visuals to visitors with vision impairment
The takeaway: There are hundreds of resources available online about how to up your digital accessibility game. When you are creating content to share, swap perspectives with someone differently-abled than yourself. Would you be able to access, understand, and feel included in your messaging if you ambulated differently or were blind or deaf? If not, take the time to make those accessibility features a standard approach to your content development.
The Scenario: Pushing someone’s chair without being asked or providing any type of physical assistance without asking.
What makes this ableist: Assumptions. Some may think it kind to start pushing someone in a wheelchair up a ramp or helpful to rush over to open a door, but these well-intended actions are the result of an extremely prejudiced assumption that folks who ambulate differently are not capable of completing these tasks on their own.
The takeaway: Just ASK! If you see someone that appears to be struggling with a door or a ramp and you must intervene, ask them first if they would like your assistance and honor their answer. Coming up behind someone and pushing them is never okay without asking. Consider their mobility device as an extension of their body. By touching without consent, you have violated their personal space and ignored their right to not be touched by a complete stranger.
It goes back to recognizing all people as humans first, existing and navigating the world with various tools. Everyone is entitled to their own preferences for support or assistance, respect those choices by asking before assuming.
How can we combat ableism in an ableist world?
- Start paying attention to and demanding accessibility, even when it doesn’t apply to you.
- Make accessible spaces and inclusive language an expectation. Bring people with disabilities and various perspectives into conversations and decision-making spaces.
- Call out microaggressions for what they are and explain in the moment why they are ableist in nature.
- Encourage people who are unaware of their microaggressions to learn from people who are differently-abled.
- Share resources, demand equity, and stop assuming, and start listening.
Do you have perspectives or resources to share on ableism? Connect with us in the comments below or reach out at our Contact page here.