We live in a society where people judge the ambition and capabilities of a person from her/his physical appearance. If a person is in a wheelchair, society draws a perception that the person lacks motivation and the will to make a good career.
“The biggest challenge is ableism, not my disability”, says Haben Girma, the first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. Ableism is the social prejudice and discrimination against individuals with disabilities based on the notion that average skills are superior. At its core, ableism is based on the belief that handicapped people need to be "fixed," and it defines people based on their impairment.
Usually, when we talk about discrimination and social stigmas, we forget to mention how specially-abled are psychologically affected by ableism. There are many instances when people in wheelchairs were denied services in Restaurants and cafes since they “didn’t fit the posh crowd”. People with Dyslexia, ADHD are called ‘idiots’ for not having the same learning and understanding pace as the abled people. The point is that, like females or some underprivileged groups, discrimination is not acknowledged in the case of specially abled people. This makes them question themselves and low on self-esteem.
Sometimes Ableism can be practiced consciously or subconsciously. Making jokes like “You are so retarded”, “She’s such a psycho” etc, are basically mocking disabled people. So in order to avert Ablesism, one can make sure that individuals with disabilities get a seat at the table where decisions are made. One can avoid the use of ableist terms or language, and most importantly Don't assume that people with impairments lack motivation and are always depressed.
Author - Risha Sinha
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