To Table of Contents
Taking a look at
Many people with disabilities view themselves as not having a disabilitity . Instead their view is that the world just isn ’ t built for them and that what is truly needed is universal design to allow them to live their lives as easily and as independently as possible .
On July 26 , 1990 , The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into Law . The Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas , including employment , transportation , public accommodations , communications and access to state and local government programs and services .
While the ADA removed many of the physical barriers , there are still forms of discrimination against people with disabilities . Today , we refer to it as “ ableism .”
There are multiple ways to define Ableism , here are two examples : discrimination and oppression of disabled people ; societal belief that being abled is “ normal ” and is preferred .
A system of oppression that favors being ablebodied / ableminded at any cost , frequently at the expense of people with disabilities .
Many understand examples of oppression to only be an individual being unjust , oppressive or harmful toward another individual , such as : rhetorically and through language like slurs and through individual discrimination or cases of inaccessibility .
Structural Ableism Physical barriers : such as a lack of ramps , elevators , no sidewalks , no push-buttons for doors etc .
Design barriers : such as poorly designed rooms that are difficult for people with mobility aids to navigate , furniture that is bolted down or too heavy to move , door knobs that are hard to open , doors that are too heavy to push open , elevators that are hidden and difficult to find etc .
Cultural Ableism
Representation of disabled people in media : is either lacking or largely negative , as abled people often play disabled characters . Story lines often write disabled characters to be angry , difficult , a predator , a “ super crip ” aka someone who is disabled that is highly accomplished , or that they only want to be “ cured ”.
Invisibility of disability culture and community : disability rights history is not taught to many students , and there is little visibility of disability culture or disability pride movements .
Forced segregation of disabled people in society : disabled people historically , and currently , have been segregated from abled people . Through lack of access to public transit , through special education programs , and through forced institutionalization .