Ableism: Etymology/ Term, Meanings and Concept
Etymology/Term:
Ableism, rooted in the word “able,” refers to a form of discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities. The term emerged in the late 20th century as a parallel to other “-isms” such as racism or sexism, highlighting biases against people based on their abilities or perceived lack thereof. Ableism encompasses a range of attitudes, actions, and societal structures that marginalize or exclude individuals with disabilities.
Meanings and Concept:
- Discrimination and Prejudice: Ableism involves discriminatory attitudes and prejudicial beliefs that devalue and marginalize individuals with disabilities, perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing social hierarchies.
- Physical and Architectural Barriers: The concept extends to physical and architectural barriers that restrict access and participation for individuals with disabilities, such as inadequate infrastructure or lack of accommodations.
- Stereotyping and Stigmatization: Ableism includes the tendency to stereotype and stigmatize individuals based on their abilities, often overlooking their unique skills, talents, and contributions.
- Institutional Exclusion: Ableism is evident in institutional practices that exclude or limit opportunities for people with disabilities, whether in education, employment, or healthcare, reinforcing systemic inequalities.
- Microaggressions and Language Use: Ableism manifests through microaggressions, subtle acts, or language choices that perpetuate negative stereotypes or demean individuals with disabilities, creating a hostile or exclusionary environment.
- Social Model vs. Medical Model: Ableism is contrasted through the lens of the social model, which emphasizes societal barriers, and the medical model, which focuses on individual impairments. Recognizing and challenging ableism involves shifting towards a more inclusive and empowering social model approach.
Understanding ableism involves recognizing and dismantling these various aspects to create a more inclusive and equitable society for people of all abilities.
Ableism: Definition of a Theoretical Term
Ableism is a theoretical term denoting discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities. It encompasses attitudes, actions, and systemic structures that marginalize or exclude people based on their perceived abilities. The term highlights the need to challenge and dismantle societal norms that contribute to the oppression and exclusion of individuals with disabilities.
Ableism: Theorists, Works and Argument
| Theorist | Key Work | Main Argument |
| Lennard J. Davis | Enforcing Normalcy: Disability, Deafness, and the Body | Davis critically examines how societal norms enforce a standard of “normalcy,” perpetuating ableism and marginalizing individuals with disabilities. |
| Rosemarie Garland-Thomson | Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature | Garland-Thomson explores the cultural representations of disability, arguing that these representations shape societal attitudes and contribute to ableism. |
| Tom Shakespeare | Disability Rights and Wrongs | Shakespeare challenges the medical model of disability, advocating for a social model that emphasizes societal barriers as the root of disablement, thus addressing the systemic nature of ableism. |
| Michel Foucault | Madness and Civilization | Foucault’s work, though not explicitly focused on disability, offers insights into the historical construction of “normal” and “abnormal,” contributing to the understanding of societal norms that perpetuate ableism. |
Note: The table provides a brief overview of key theorists, their significant works, and main arguments related to ableism.
Ableism: Major Characteristics
- Stereotyping and Stigmatization:
- Example: In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the character of Lennie Small, who has a cognitive disability, is often stigmatized and stereotyped, reflecting prevailing attitudes of the time.
- Physical and Architectural Barriers:
- Example: The lack of wheelchair accessibility in public spaces, as depicted in Raymond Luczak’s memoir Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life, highlights physical barriers that individuals with disabilities face.
- Discrimination and Prejudice:
- Example: The mistreatment of the protagonist Christopher, who has autism, in Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time illustrates discrimination and prejudicial attitudes towards individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Microaggressions and Language Use:
- Example: The use of derogatory language or slurs targeting individuals with disabilities in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird reflects how ableist language perpetuates negative stereotypes.
- Institutional Exclusion:
- Example: The exclusion of students with disabilities from mainstream education, as depicted in Jodi Picoult’s House Rules, highlights institutional practices that contribute to ableism.
- Social Model vs. Medical Model:
- Example: The contrast between the medical model and the social model is explored in Alice Wong’s anthology Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century, emphasizing the need to shift towards a more inclusive societal perspective.
These characteristics, illustrated through literary examples, underscore the pervasive nature of ableism and its impact on individuals with disabilities across various aspects of society.
Ableism: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | Relevance to Ableism |
| Feminist Literary Theory | Intersects with ableism, as both address societal norms and discrimination. Feminist literary theory may explore how disabled women experience oppression uniquely, addressing the intersectionality of gender and disability. |
| Postcolonial Literary Theory | Examines how ableism intersects with colonial legacies, affecting disabled individuals in postcolonial contexts. This theory can reveal how Western ideals of ability impact the representation and treatment of disabled individuals in formerly colonized regions. |
| Disability Studies | Inherently linked, as disability studies explore the social, cultural, and historical aspects of disability. It engages with ableism, examining how literature reflects and challenges societal perceptions of disability. |
| Queer Literary Theory | Overlaps with ableism in exploring marginalized identities. Queer theory may examine how disabled individuals navigate societal expectations related to both ability and sexuality, revealing the intersections of ableism and homophobia. |
| Critical Race Theory | Intersects with ableism in addressing systemic discrimination. This theory may explore how disabled individuals from diverse racial backgrounds experience unique forms of discrimination, shedding light on the intersectionality of race and disability. |
Note: Each literary theory has relevance to ableism, providing unique perspectives on the intersections between disability and other aspects of identity and society.
Ableism: Application in Critiques
- “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman:
- Ableism is evident in the medical treatment imposed on the protagonist, a woman diagnosed with a mental illness. The story critiques the prevailing medical model of disability, revealing how societal attitudes and institutional practices contribute to the protagonist’s deterioration.
- “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes:
- Ableism is central to the narrative as the protagonist, initially intellectually disabled, undergoes an experimental procedure that temporarily enhances his intelligence. The story critiques societal attitudes toward intelligence and challenges the notion that one’s worth is determined by cognitive ability.
- “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin:
- The story raises ethical questions about a utopian society built on the suffering of a single child. Ableism is explored as the society’s happiness relies on the perpetual mistreatment of a disabled child, prompting readers to reflect on the moral implications of sacrificing one for the benefit of many.
- “The Sound of the Gunshot” by Manuel Muñoz:
- The short story delves into ableism within a family context, exploring the strained relationship between a father and son with differing abilities. It critiques societal expectations and familial pressures related to normative definitions of success, emphasizing the impact of ableism on familial dynamics.
In each of these short stories, ableism is a central theme, providing a lens through which to critique societal attitudes, institutional practices, and interpersonal relationships concerning disability.
Ableism: Relevant Terms
| Theoretical Term | Definition |
| Intersectionality | Examining intersecting social identities for unique forms of oppression. |
| Social Model of Disability | Emphasizing societal barriers over individual impairments as the cause of disablement. |
| Critical Disability Studies | Critically exploring social, cultural, and historical aspects of disability. |
| Narrative Prosthesis | Using disability as a literary device, reinforcing ableist stereotypes. |
| Crip Theory | Challenging normative concepts of ability, celebrating diverse embodiments. |
| Compulsory Able-Bodiedness | Societal expectation for able-bodied capabilities, reinforcing ableism. |
| Disability Aesthetics | Examining how disability is portrayed in art and literature. |
| Epistemic Injustice | Unjust treatment impacting credibility and knowledge of individuals with disabilities. |
| Ableist Microaggressions | Subtle acts reinforcing ableist attitudes and stereotypes. |
| Deinstitutionalization | Advocating closure of institutional facilities, promoting community integration. |
Ableism: Suggested Readings
- Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring Physical Disability in American Culture and Literature. Columbia University Press, 1997.
- Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Dover Publications, 1997.
- Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Vintage, 2004.
- Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. Mariner Books, 2005.
- Le Guin, Ursula K. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. The New Yorker, 1973.
- Luczak, Raymond. Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life. Handtype Press, 2009.
- Muñoz, Manuel. “The Sound of the Gunshot”. The Best American Short Stories, 2007.
- Perkins, Frances. The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories. Dover Publications, 1997.
- Picoult, Jodi. House Rules. Atria Books, 2010.
- Wong, Alice (Ed.). Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century. Vintage, 2020.