language matters: "disablism" vs "ableism"

[firecat]

This is about how the word "disablism" makes more sense to describe "oppression against people who are labeled as disabled and/or the idea that disabled people are not as good as to non-disabled people."

The main way it speaks to me is in the bit about the continuity of life as ability changes. I still go back and forth about whether to call myself disabled because I didn't have a sudden change in what I am capable of; I feel like the same person except in certain "metrics" (how far I can walk, how much of certain meds I need to take, etc.).

http://still.my.revolution.tao.ca/node/68

ableism implies that this oppression is somehow related to ability – which it is not. Disability is a social category and its label is imposed on certain groups of people because of their perceived characteristics as un(der)productive.
...
using ableism makes it really easy for people to equate ableism with discrimination based on ability.
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Words like "paralysis" and "disabled" are often used in disablist ways to talk about full stops but this is far from the way disabled people live our lives. If someone becomes disabled, their life continues and their body, while different (and possibly even painful or frustrating) is what allows their life to continue.
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We all have able bodies. If we don't have able bodies we are dead.

Comments

[trascendenza]

Thanks for that link.

[jae]

We all have able bodies. If we don't have able bodies we are dead.

This is why the earlier word 'handicapped' seemed more logical to me than its replacement 'disabled', actually. Although the 'with a disability' paraphrase gets around that issue and is less likely to rankle, so that's what I try to use.

-J

[johnpalmer]

Well... I always heard that "racism" meant the idea that one race was superior - often by the intimation that another race was inferior. Similarly with sexism, ageism and heterosexism (the last being the most blatant example of "the named thing is believed superior"). It fits in with altruist (one who believes that altruism is desirable), and other such constructions.

So for me, ableism means that being "able" is better, and people who aren't are inferior.

But it's the nature of language to change. I have no problem with disableism, from that perspective.

But I think it's useful to think of the origin. Someone will say "I have nothing against black people, but they are in some way inferior to white people because they haven't done enough to improve their lot." Pointing out that racism is specifically the assumption that (in this case, white people) are superior because obviously everyone has the same opportunities, but only white people take advantage of them, can be useful.

[sasha_feather]

Interesting. I've also seen Dave Hingsburger use "disphobia".