Ableism
Locating ableism in everyday communication and interaction
What is Ableism?
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Ableism is the discrimination and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that fully able-bodied are better or superior. At its core, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people are imperfect and require 'fixing'. Often it can, unfortunately, lead to an individual feeling defined by their disability and limit their potential.
Important things to remember about disabilities!
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Disabilities are not just physical or visible, non-visible disabilities exist too! These are more often known as invisible or intellectual disabilities. It is important to remember that just because a person may not have physical signs of a disability, it doesn’t mean or confirm that they don’t have one.
Common examples of disabilities
VISIBLE
-> Autism (depending where someone is on the spectrum)
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-> Down Syndrome
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-> Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
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-> Tourette Syndrome
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-> Amputations
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-> Paralysis
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-> Cerebral Palsy
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-> Muscular Dystrophy (MD)
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-> Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
“Living with Non-Visible Disabilities.” The Disability Unit, 17th December 2020, https://disabilityunit.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/17/livingwith-non-visible-disabilities/
-> Mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and others
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-> Autism (depending where someone is on the spectrum) and Asperger’s syndrome
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-> Visual impairments or restricted vision, hearing loss
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-> Sensory and processing difficulties
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-> Cognitive impairment, including dementia, traumatic brain injury, or learning disabilities
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-> Conditinos such as diabetes, chronic pain or fatigue, respiratory conditions, incontinence
NON-VISIBLE
“Invisible vs. Visible Disabilities.” 24 Hour Home Care, 18th May 2021, https://www.24hrcares.com/blog/invisible-vs-visible-disabilities/#:~:text=Common%20examples%20of%20visible%20disabilities,Tourette%20Syndrome.
