Is ableism on YOUR radar?

Ableism is discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.

It’s fueled by prejudice, bias, and ignorance directed towards people living with disabilities.

While often unconscious, its effects are felt daily and worldwide.

Not only are those living with disabilities directly impacted by it but so are their families and friends.

SO is society at large.

• We miss out on their contributions when people with disabilities don’t have access to join as equal members of society.

But what if we were to bake it in from the start?

—Access…

—Accomodations…

—Equal opportunity…

—Etc…

If we PLAN for inclusion, we create ways to make it happen. It doesn’t happen on its own.

• —.—

My friend’s daughter had a learning difference and wasn’t learning to read or write.

After the school’s special ed. evaluation only came up with anxiety, Mom got a second evaluation from an independent agency.

They discovered a visual processing deficit whereby when the girl sounded out each letter in a word, by the time she got to the end of the word she’d lost the beginning of it.

Unfortunately, she was too far behind to catch up with extra help so she was held back in second grade.

• AND, one of the accommodations was this: due to her high intellect, to promote adequately stimulating conversation, she was seated next to a student with equal intellect.

We don’t ever see a person for all of who they really are. Her daughter’s seatingmate was not an automatic match.

While my friend’s daughter was reading books with a few three-letter words per page, her classmate had a two-inch Harry Potter book in his hands!

Decisions based on partial information have many drawbacks. In this case, reading level and ability to think were worlds apart.

• Without the thorough evaluation and specific recommendation, the girl could easily have been left to underachieve.

What do you think of accommodations?

What’s an example you’ve seen that worked well?

What are some drawbacks?

• —.—

Jealously, and the Ultimate Price to Pay for an Accommodation

A man told me a story about his twin brother with schizophrenia.

This man owned a small business where he gave his brother a job. Because of the mental illness, he accommodated the job in ways so his brother could perform.

Both were happy because the one with a disability was able to function outside the home, thereby reducing isolation’s crippling effects.

When employees complained about special treatment, the business owner caved and removed the accommodations. His brother subsequently died by suicide. 

—Julie