Ableism

I joined a Book Circle with colleagues from Cal Poly. We read Demysifying Disability by Emily Ladau. She is a fierce advocate for disability rights. Each member of the book circle took a chapter to explore and present to the group. I had Chapter 4, Ableism and Accessibility. I decided to extract the quotes I found that resonated the most with me. I then created slides to share with the group.

What is Ableism?

“Attitudes, actions, and circumstances that devalue people because they have a disability or perceived as having a disability.”
Ladau, E. L. (n.d.). Demystifying Disability

“ Ableism takes a heavy toll. Too many disabled people have been led to believe that our lives are not worth living…..That line of thinking is unequivocally untrue. Disabled lives are worth living. “ p. 75

“The Women’s March did not include disabilities as part of their “Unity Principals.” p. 76

“Disability must be included in social justice movements. Excluding it isn’t just ableist, it’s directly contributing to harm.” p. 77

Accessibility

Accessibility is about making things more equitable so that disabled people have the same opportunities and support to thrive as do nondisabled people.”

“Accessibility is not about special treatment or privileges.” p. 79

Imagine trying to navigate this in a wheelchair or with a cane.

Courtesy of Upworthy