Ableism

Ableism ( ; also known as ablism, disablism [in British English], anapirophobia, anapirism, and disability discrimination) is discrimination and social prejudice against disabled people. Ableism characterizes people as being defined by their disabilities and also classifies disabled people as being inferior to non-disabled people. On this basis, people are assigned or denied certain perceived abilities, skills, or personality traits. Ableism perpetuates false ideas about individuals and groups with disabilities. There are stereotypes which are either associated with disability in general, or they are associated with specific impairments or chronic health conditions (e.g., the presumption that all disabled people want to be cured, the false belief that wheelchair users also have an intellectual disability, or the assumption that blind people have some special form of insight). These stereotypes, in turn, serve as a justification for discriminatory practices, and reinforce discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward people who are disabled. Labeling affects people when it limits their options for action or changes their identity. In ableist societies, the lives of disabled people are considered less valuable or worth living, and sometimes even expendable. The eugenics movement of the early 20th century is considered an expression of widespread ableism.…

Ableism ( ; also known as ablism, disablism [in British English], anapirophobia, anapirism, and disability discrimination) is discrimination and social prejudice against disabled people. Ableism characterizes people as being defined by their disabilities and also classifies disabled people as being inferior to non-disabled people. On this basis, people are assigned or denied certain perceived abilities, skills, or personality traits. Ableism perpetuates false ideas about individuals and groups with disabilities. There are stereotypes which are either associated with disability in general, or they are associated with specific impairments or chronic health conditions (e.g., the presumption that all disabled people want to be cured, the false belief that wheelchair users also have an intellectual disability, or the assumption that blind people have some special form of insight). These stereotypes, in turn, serve as a justification for discriminatory practices, and reinforce discriminatory attitudes and behaviors toward people who are disabled. Labeling affects people when it limits their options for action or changes their identity. In ableist societies, the lives of disabled people are considered less valuable or worth living, and sometimes even expendable. The eugenics movement of the early 20th century is considered an expression of widespread ableism. Ableism can be further understood by reading literature which is written and published by those who experience disability and ableism first-hand. Disability studies is an academic discipline which is also beneficial when non-disabled people pursue it in order to gain a better understanding of ableism. Discrimination on the basis of mental disorders or cognitive impairments is known as sanism. ==Etymology== Originating from (in disable, disabled) with influence of (ultimately from Latin ) and -ism (in racism, sexism); first recorded in 1981. ===United Kingdom=== " and convicts in being unable to vote. Ableist and eugenicist ideas were often found in suffrage rhetoric.]] In the UK, disability discrimination became unlawful as a result of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. These were later superseded, retaining the substantive law, by the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act 2010 brought together protections against multiple areas of discriminatory behavior (disability, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age and pregnancy the so-called "protected characteristics"). Under the Equality Act 2010, there are prohibitions addressing several forms of discrimination including direct discrimination (s.13), indirect discrimination (s.6, s.19), harassment (s.26), victimisation (s.27), discrimination arising from disability (s.15), and failure to make reasonable adjustments (s.20). Part 2, chapter 1, section 6, of the Equality Act 2010 states that "A person (P) has a disability if (a) P has a physical or mental impairment, and (b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on P's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities." ===United States=== Much like many minority groups, disabled Americans were often segregated and denied certain rights for a majority of American history. In the 1800s, a shift from a religious view to a more scientific view took place. Public stigma began to change after World War II when many Americans returned home with disabilities. In the 1960s, following the civil rights movement in America, the world began the disabled rights movement. The movement was intended to give all individuals with disabilities equal rights and opportunities. Until the 1970s, ableism in the United States was often codified into law. For example, in many jurisdictions, so-called "ugly laws" barred people from appearing in public if they had diseases or disfigurements that were considered unsightly. ==Causes of ableism== Ableism may have evolutionary and existential origins (fear of contagion, fear of death). It may also be rooted in belief systems (social Darwinism, meritocracy), language (such as "suffering from" disability), or unconscious biases. ==References== ==External links== Disablism: How to tackle the last prejudice by DEMOS (2004)

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