Saturday 1 June 2013

Ableism for Beginners.

Ableism


What is Ableism? Many people do not know what it is. It is rampant in our society and so incredibly subtle that most people miss it. Yet it is incredibly hurtful and demeaning to those it affects which is anyone who is considered disabled.

A dictionary definition of Ableism
Ableism: discrimination in favor of the able-bodied people.

It is that simple. Yet it is everywhere and many of us do not even notice it or realise that that is what it is.

Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg writes succinctly on the subject and understands it far more than I do right now.

Here is one example of Ableism that she explains concisely.

A wikipedia article about Ableism.

I implore you to educate yourself about Ableism and how it affects others.

One more article that relates to the topic of Ableism and how to treat people who are different, suffering or unwell. It discusses the Kvetching Order circle. If you need to vent or aren't coping with how another person is different, unwell or disabled reach out to for support from those who are in no way connected with the unwell or disabled person.

Further Reading:

Because you aren't Autistic

This is Ableism

2 comments:

  1. Aha! I found you! (You commented on my post Ableism is to Blame.)
    I just wanted to put it out there that the blogs on Tumblr thisisableism.tumblr.com and allisticntprivilege.tumblr.com have also potentially relevant stuff in terms of having ALL the examples. And that ableism can also work against people who are neurodivergent, regardless of physical ability.

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    1. Thank you Alyssa. Yes, that's correct. Thank you for those blog links. I will add them to my blog post about Ableism. I fully agree with you that Ableism can work against people who are neurodivergent. I have written about Ableism in a few of my blog posts about my family misunderstanding me. How it really is Ableism and how much it effects me.

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