Ableism: Understanding Human Differences and Disability Rights

Definition and Scope of Ableism

• Definition of Ableism:

  • Refers to the process of determining an individual’s internal and external abilities based on their disabilities.

  • Encompasses any policy or practice that promotes the belief that a disability justifies discrimination against people with disabilities (Linton, 1998).

People with Disabilities as a Minority Group

• Reasons for Classification as a Minority Group:

  • Possessing a disability significantly influences an individual's sense of identity and has a direct impact on daily life.

  • Able-bodied individuals frequently exhibit negative reactions toward a person’s disability.

  • These negative reactions often lead to personal rejection and systemic discrimination similar to the experiences of members of other minority groups.

Cultural Ableism and Historical Perceptions

• Cultural Ableism:

  • Refers to the societal tendency to portray people with disabilities as "deviant."

  • Promotes negative beliefs and imagery that present people with disabilities as inherently inferior.

• Historical Perceptions of People with Disabilities:

  • Subhuman Organism: The belief that people with disabilities do not possess the same level of intelligence, emotions, or human value as others.

  • Diseased Organism: Viewing a disability as a defect that requires a medical cure.

  • Object of Dread: Viewing the person as defective or as a form of punishment from God.

  • Object of Pity: Perceiving the individual as helpless, dependent, and fundamentally incapable.

  • Object of Ridicule: Subjecting individuals to name-calling (e.g., "retard") and humor centered on their disability (e.g., "moron jokes").

  • Holy Innocent/Eternal Child: The belief that a person with a disability can never become a capable or functioning adult.

  • Menace to Society: Perceiving individuals with disabilities as inherently violent; often portrayed as villains in media (e.g., Captain Hook).

Concepts of Disability Culture

• Definition: Disability culture exists when people with a common disability share the following:

  • A historical knowledge base.

  • A common language.

  • A cultural identity characterized by specific norms for behavior.

  • A network of specialized social organizations.

• Example: Deaf Culture is a primary example of this phenomenon.

Individual Ableism and Negative Assumptions

• Individual Ableism:

  • Refers to the negative attitudes and behaviors directed at individuals based on the assumption that their disability makes their level of ability "deviant" from what is considered the "norm."

• Reflection in Language: Negative words and phrases propagate negative attitudes, including:

  • Crippled

  • Handicapped

  • Impaired

  • Afflicted with…

  • A victim of…

  • Confined to a wheelchair

• Negative Assumptions Commonly Made:

  • A disability is viewed strictly as a biological problem needing a "fix" rather than a societal problem.

  • Any problem a person with a disability encounters is assumed to be a direct consequence of their disability.

  • The assumption that "victims" of a disability can never lead productive lives.

  • The belief that being disabled is the most significant factor in how these individuals view themselves and compare themselves to others.

  • The assumption that every person with a disability will consistently require assistance.

Misuse of Labels and Current Educational Controversies

• Misuse of Legitimate Labels:

  • Individuals diagnosed with severe or profound "mental retardation" (intellectual disability) were historically viewed as incapable of independent living and were subsequently institutionalized.

  • Experts previously assumed that up to $75\%$ of people with cerebral palsy were also mentally retarded; however, newer tools and testing strategies have refuted this claim.

• Current Controversies in Labeling Children:

  • Children of color are over-represented in special needs populations.

  • White children are more likely to receive labels associated with less social stigma, such as ADHD.

  • Students with a disability are twice as likely to face suspension from school compared to their non-disabled peers.

Strategies for Changing Attitudes

• Language Shifts:

  • Eliminating offensive words like "crippled" and "handicapped."

  • Implementing "PEOPLE FIRST" language, which emphasizes the person before the condition.

  • Examples:

    • People with epilepsy

    • People with cerebral palsy

    • People with disabilities

Institutional Ableism and the History of Institutionalization

• Institutional Ableism:

  • Refers to established laws, customs, and practices that systematically discriminate against people with disabilities.

• Historical Placement in Institutions:

  • In medieval Europe, children with disabilities were often placed in monasteries.

  • Communities confined "deviants" in available structures, such as leprosaria (leper colonies).

  • These buildings eventually evolved into mental asylums or "lunatic hospitals."

  • In the United States, this practice continued because individuals with physical, psychological, or developmental problems were not wanted within the general community.

• Establishment in the U.S.:

  • Following the Civil War, communities turned to institutions to address societal problems.

  • People with disabilities were institutionalized in hospitals administered by individuals with medical degrees.

  • While these facilities were intended to "rehabilitate" clients, they often merely "took care" of (warehoused) them.

• Evidence of Negative Attitudes:

  • The Eugenics Movement: This movement singled out people with mental or physical disabilities for institutionalization.

  • Many institutions were exposed for failing to provide for basic human needs.

  • $30$ states enacted laws that permitted the involuntary sterilization of those labeled as "feeble minded" or "mental defectives."

Deinstitutionalization and Community Living

• State Responses:

  • Many states have passed "deinstitutionalization" laws to close large-scale institutions.

  • States now promote moving institutionalized individuals into community-based placements.

• Alternatives to Institutions:

  • Most people with disabilities prefer living in communities.

  • Living options include family homes and group homes.

  • Note: Some communities still resist the establishment of group homes in residential areas.

Economic Costs and Government Support

• Annual Cost of Care:

  • The minimal cost for institutional care is approximately $6 \text{ billion dollars}$ each year.

  • Moving individuals from institutions to community settings has been shown to save between $5\%$ and $25\%$.

  • The maximum cost for community placement is $40,000_{\text{ USD}}$ per person.

  • Taxpayers fund over $60\%$ of the expenses for people with disabilities living in institutions or nursing homes.

• Government Legislation:

  • Social Security (1935): Initially did not include people with disabilities; coverage was expanded to them in the $1950s$.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990): Passed by Congress to address discrimination, though it has been criticized as being ineffective in some areas.

  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI, 1973): Created to provide financial assistance to people with disabilities, but only if they could prove financial need.

  • ABLE Act (2014): Passed by Congress to increase the amount of allowable assets a recipient can hold while maintaining eligibility for benefits.

Barriers in Employment, Accessibility, and Health Care

• Employment Statistics:

  • Two-thirds ($66.6\%$\text{ approx.}$) of people with a disability want to work.

  • However, only $32\%$ of people with a disability are currently employed.

  • The majority of those who are employed work in "sheltered workshops."

  • Among those unemployed, $42\%$ report that employers were unwilling to provide the necessary accommodations for successful performance.

• Mobility and Accessibility:

  • Individuals with disabilities are less likely to participate in community activities due to lack of accessibility.

  • Investigation found that $73\%$ of polling places had one or more physical impediments for a person with a disability.

• Health Care:

  • Difficulty in obtaining private health insurance makes Medicaid an essential resource.

  • One-third ($33.3\%$\text{ approx.}$) of people with disabilities choose not to work to avoid jeopardizing their Medicaid coverage.

  • Medicaid is the primary provider for over $9 \text{ million}$ people under the age of $65$ who have disabilities.

Education and Legal Rights

• Mainstreaming vs. Inclusion:

  • Federal legislation mandates Mainstreaming, meaning students must be taught in the "least restrictive environment."

  • Despite this, many students are still segregated.

  • Advocates prefer the Inclusion Model, which requires the full integration of students with disabilities into regular classrooms.

• Legal Precedent: Honig v. Doe:

  • The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right to public education for all students with disabilities.

  • The court ruled that emotionally disturbed students cannot be suspended or expelled for behavior that stems from their disability.

  • Student placement cannot be changed without parental consent.

• Educational Outcomes:

  • Only $61\%$ of students with a disability graduate on time, compared to $80\%$ of non-disabled students.