Inaccessible design: Designing buildings, public spaces, products, and technology that only caters to nondisabled people is an example of ableism.
For example, a person may say, “I am so OCD.” Terms such as “dumb” and “lame” were originally used to describe disabilities, but today, people use them as synonyms for “stupid” or “bad.” People also misuse words in a way that trivializes conditions.
Ableist language: There are many examples of ableism in everyday language.
On a larger scale, some examples of ableism include:
questioning whether a person’s disability is real.
using public facilities that are for people with disabilities, such as parking spaces or toilets.
assuming a physical disability is a product of laziness or lack of exercise.
viewing a person with a disability as inspirational for doing typical things, such as having a career.
saying, “You do not look disabled,” as though this is a compliment.
asking someone what is “wrong” with them.
whether it has a history of being stigmatized, as this can lead to the development of specific myths, stereotypes, or slursĮxamples of ableism range from blatant hostility and aggression to less obvious everyday interactions.
whether or not a condition is well known to the general public.
whether an impairment is physical or cognitive.
Other factors that can influence this include: For example, how people discriminate against those with visible impairments is different from how they treat those with invisible impairments. For example, a person might start a social interaction by treating someone in a patronizing way, and then switch to being hostile if the person objects to their behavior.Īn important thing to note about ableism is that it affects people differently depending on how others perceive their disability.
Ambivalent ableism: This is a combination of both hostile and benevolent ableism.
This is patronizing and undermines the person’s individuality and autonomy, reinforcing an unequal power dynamic.
Benevolent ableism: This form of ableism views people with disabilities as weak, vulnerable, or in need of rescuing.
Hostile ableism: This includes openly aggressive behaviors or policies, such as bullying, abuse, and violence.
For example, a person may feel that disability accommodations are a privilege and not a right.Ībleism also takes on different forms, including:
Internal level: Internalized ableism is when a person consciously or unconsciously believes in the harmful messages they hear about disability and applies them to themselves.
For example, a parent of a child with a disability might try to “cure” the disability rather than accept it.
Interpersonal level: This is ableism that takes place in social interactions and relationships.
When this is part of medical teaching and health policy, it affects the entire healthcare system and the well-being of patients. An example is medical ableism, which is rooted in the idea that disability of any kind is a problem that needs fixing.
Institutional level: This form of ableism affects institutions.
It exists on different levels of society, including the following: It was second only to ageism.Ībleism manifests in many ways. In the study, ableism was among the most common and strongest forms of implicit and explicit bias out of the ones the researchers tested for, surpassing gender, race, weight, and sexuality. This included respondents who had disabilities themselves. An older study found that 76% of respondents had an implicit bias in favor of people without disabilities. Implicit bias against people with disabilities is extremely common. Bias that a person is unaware they have is known as implicit bias. This is because people learn ableism from others, consciously or unconsciously. Ableism can also indirectly affect caregivers.Īs with other forms of oppression, people do not always know they are thinking or behaving in an ableist way. It is a form of systemic oppression that affects people who identify as disabled, as well as anyone who others perceive to be disabled. It frames being nondisabled as the ideal and disability as a flaw or abnormality. Ableism perpetuates a negative view of disability.
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