Ableism negatively affects disabled people, but it’s everywhere, and most people do not even realize how ableist they are. What is ableism? I have explained it before, but in case you’re new here, it’s a form of discrimination and social prejudice with the belief that the abilities of non-disabled people are superior and that disabled people need to be fixed. Disability is wrongly portrayed in the media, which causes people to believe disability stereotypes and be even more ableist. Anyone can be ableist, even disabled people, and I don’t think all ableism is intentional because most people don’t even know what it is. Most disabled people are raised on ableism, and it is important that we do our best to unlearn ableism so you can better support our disabled friends. I don’t think we are ever going to completely end ableism, but we can challenge it and make sure we aren’t being ableist. How can you challenge and unlearn ableism? In this post, I am sharing a few ways you can unlearn and challenge ableism.
Listen and believe disabled people- Anyone can be ableist, but non-disabled people sometimes will say more ableist comments than disabled people because ableism doesn’t affect them, and they don’t truly understand the negative impacts of it. I am a strong believer that you can’t improve on any skill if you don’t take the time to educate yourself. Most people are ableist because they get all their information from the media, which is often ableist, and don’t educate themselves on ableism. These days, it is so easy to learn more about ableism because there are so many disabled people who write books on that topic and post content online. The first step to unlearning ableism is to get a better understanding of what it is, and the best way to do that is by talking to disabled people and believing them.
Ditch the inspiration porn– Disabled people are often treated as less than and considered inspirations for doing things that. Some disabled people are doing great things and could be considered an inspiration, but the belief that all disabled people are an inspiration is not true and is ableist. Telling a disabled person that they are an inspiration for doing nothing is not the compliment you think it is, and many disabled people see that comment as insulting. I may do things in a slightly different way than non-disabled people, but I am not an inspiration for being disabled. One of the best ways you can challenge ableism is to ditch the inspiration porn and stop calling all disabled people inspiring. My existence as a disabled person is not inspirational because disabled people do stupid things sometimes that we regret, and are the complete opposite of what it means to be inspiring. Disability is a different way to live, and one of the ways you can challenge ableism is by viewing disability as a difference rather than an inspiration because disabled people are not here to inspire you.
Be accessible without being asked- Non-disabled people sometimes think that accessibility is only for disabled people, but accessibility is not just for disabled people, and it benefits everyone. As a physically disabled person, I am always navigating inaccessibility, especially when I go out, because non-disabled people tend to think that since they aren’t disabled, people that they don’t need to care about it. It can be exhausting to constantly have to advocate for your access needs because businesses don’t prioritize accessibility. Disabled people shouldn’t have to prove their disability to get simple accommodations, but often we do. Non-disabled people often will tell disabled people not to attend an event if it’s not accessible, which is incredibly ableist and not a solution. Accessibility is important to disabled people, and one of the ways you can fight ableism is to be as accessible as you can without a disabled person needing to tell you that you should be. Non-disabled people do not understand accessibility to the extent a disabled person does, and I don’t expect them to get everything right, but some people don’t even try.
Don’t assume you know someone’s access needs- Disabled people have different access needs because not everyone is going to struggle with the same types of tasks. Non-disabled people sometimes think they know our access needs better than we do and will start doing things for us without asking because they think we need help. You should never assume that you know someone’s access needs better than they do, and you should always ask disabled people, because sometimes we may not need or want your help. It doesn’t matter how well you know someone; you will never know someone’s needs better than they do. You should always ask how you can help someone instead of assuming you know.
Talk about disability with your kids- Most non-disabled parents do not talk about disability with their kids because they think they only need to talk about it if their child is disabled. You should talk about disability with kids, whether they are disabled or not, because you will turn your child into an ableist adult if you don’t. Disability can be scary for kids because there is so much misinformation in the media and one of the best ways we can make it less scary is by talking about it.
Don’t ask disabled people invasive questions- Disabled people are often asked personal questions because non-disabled people are curious and think they deserve to know, which is ableist because you are not entitled to a disabled person’s medical history. One of the best ways you can fight ableism is by not asking disabled people personal questions that you wouldn’t ask a non-disabled person, because my personal health issues are none of your business.
Stop yelling faker at people who don’t look disabled– Some people fake disabilities, but it is impossible to know who is faking and who is not by looking at them, because not all disabilities are visible. Non-disabled people often will yell faker when they see someone park in an accessible parking spot who doesn’t look disabled, which is incredibly ableist, because how do you know if someone doesn’t have an invisible disability? When you yell faker at a complete stranger because they don’t look disabled, you are becoming part of the problem and contributing to ableism. One of the ways you can fight ableism is by setting an example and not being that person who yells faker out in public because they don’t look disabled. Disabled people shouldn’t have prove their disabilities to anyone and you should never question someone’s disability.
Ableism is everywhere, and I don’t see it going away any time soon because it sneaks up on us in sneaky ways that are not always easily recognizable. It may not be possible to completely end ableism, but we can educate ourselves to make sure we aren’t part of the problem. Ableism is not always intentional, and I think most times, people mean well and don’t realize how ableist they are because they don’t take the time to educate themselves. As a disabled person, I understand ableism better than a non-disabled person, but I am always educating myself because you’re never going to know everything. One of the best ways you can challenge ableism is by educating your friends and calling people out on it when they are ableist, because sometimes people can’t recognize it as easily and are not aware. How do you challenge and unlearn ableism? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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