Ableism; The greatest barrier to disability!
Like all the other isms, just as racism, sexism, feminism, ableism too is a belief system or we can say it is a set of practices which considers people with disabilities as worthless. It assigns an inferior value to the people who have developmental, emotional, physical and psychiatric limitations. Ableism has a major hand in creating a dominant attitude in society that devalues and limits the potential of persons with disabilities. Consciously or unconsciously, intentionally or unintentionally, all this has promoted differential or unequal treatment of people due to their actual or presumed disabilities. The non disabled people have set a standard of ‘normal living’ and all the infrastructure including schools, places of work, public places etc have been built up according to that ‘normal living’ standard. Unfortunately people with disabilities do not and cannot satisfy the laid down criteria of this ‘normal living’ and are thus left excluded. Consequently this belief system of ableism has contributed in creations of attitudinal, systemic and physical barriers all around for the people with disabilities. Ableism is found embedded not only in institutions and systems but also in the broader culture of a society. Consistent perpetuation of negative attitudes leads to marginalization of a group of people rendering them a complete inferior social status. Stereotypes of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ are spread everywhere in the society, all the more disabling the people with disabilities. Negative attitudes and stigma associated may create significant barriers to equality, dignity and participation, perhaps greater barriers than the actual impairment itself. These attitudes may affect the development and implementation of laws and policies.
Ableism may also result in a failure to address the real needs and circumstances of persons with disabilities and on the contrary labels them as ‘persons with special needs’…Isn’t it ridiculous!
So I won’t mind redefining ableism. It should be defined as a failure to make reasonable accommodation, to fine-tune society so that its structures and assumptions do not result in the relegation and banishment of persons with disability from participation, which results in discrimination against them. Ableism sometimes becomes so rigid in its own shelled belief system that it completely ignores the fact that people with disabilities have latent talents as well as energies and hidden resources too. The need is to bring such talents to the surface level.
It is not a hidden fact that many people with disabilities have high levels of education, and are fully employed and participating in their communities. But then why persons with disabilities tend to face disproportionate levels of unemployment and low-income, and have to face the extra challenges in terms of well-being and participation that are associated with unemployment and low-income. Persons with disabilities therefore continue to experience social and economic inequalities and its consequences.
Low employment leads to low income and low incomes aggravates disability all the more. They get caught in the vicious circle of poverty and disability.
Ableism makes persons with disabilities experience lower levels of personal security, and they become more vulnerable to violence and exploitation. They are, for example, significantly more likely to be victims of violent crime, domestic violence and abuse. This persistent devaluation of persons with disabilities, and social system places them in disempowered relationships.
So my humble request to all the non disabled people who are living under the impression that they would always remain ‘normal’, to pledge it from today to come out of the dogmatic shackles of ‘Ableism’ as ableism is nothing but only a myth. Everyone is Temporarily Abled Bodied. Old age, accidents, bomb blasts, earthquakes can shatter this myth of ableism within seconds. So let is adopt a new belief system from today…Let us call it ‘Enablism’….help people to enable themselves.
Abha Khetarpal
President
Cross the Hurdles
