The View from Where I Sit

Tag: disablism

  • Ableism vs Disablism

    What is ableism?


    Ableism gives a negative view of disability. It identifies being nondisabled as the ideal and disability as a flaw or abnormality.

    It is a form of systemic oppression that affects people who identify as disabled, as well as anyone who others perceive to be disabled.


    “Internalised ableism can have effects on individuals’ mental and physical health. It can lead to self-blame, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and social isolation.”

    Are you struggling with internalised ableism?
    Ableism and disablism, while often used interchangeably, have distinct meanings that influence our understanding of disability and discrimination.

    Ableism refers to the attitudes, beliefs, and practices that devalue people with disabilities. It’s rooted in the assumption that able-bodied and neurotypical individuals are the norm, making those who deviate from these standards seem inferior.

    Ableism manifests in various ways, from physical barriers, like buildings without ramps, to societal stigmas surrounding mental health. It often goes unnoticed, embedded in the everyday fabric of society.

    For example, a classroom that lacks accessible materials for a visually impaired student or a workplace that doesn’t offer flexible hours for someone with a chronic illness perpetuates ableist norms. These situations frequently arise not from malice, but because the needs of disabled people aren’t considered.

    Disablism, in contrast, is a more explicit form of discrimination. It refers to the deliberate exclusion or mistreatment of disabled individuals. While ableism is often unconscious and passive, disablism is active and intentional. It’s the act of marginalizing or oppressing people based on their disabilities. This could be through discriminatory hiring practices, bullying, or even outright violence.

    For example, a company that explicitly refuses to hire someone because of their disability is engaging in disablism, as is someone who mocks or verbally abuses a person with a disability.

    Understanding the difference between ableism and disablism is crucial. Addressing ableism involves raising awareness and changing ingrained practices. It requires a shift in perspective—from seeing disability as a flaw that needs fixing to understanding it as part of human diversity.


    Universal Design, which promotes creating environments and products usable by all, embodies this approach. The curb cut, initially designed to assist wheelchair users, has proven beneficial to many, including parents with strollers and travellers with luggage. This “curb cut effect” shows how addressing ableism can lead to broader social benefits.

    On the other hand, combating disablism often requires legal action and enforcement of anti-discrimination laws. In India, for example, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, aims to tackle disablism by prohibiting discrimination in employment, education, and other public areas. Disablism demands accountability and ensures that disabled individuals have the same rights and opportunities as others.

    Both ableism and disablism originate from a societal devaluation of disability. Yet, they differ in their expression and impact.

    Truth is ableism sucks. But we need to remember that external barriers and prejudices no matter how challenging they are do not dictate whether or not a Disabled life has meaning, love or laughter.


    The good and the bad without the able world deciding how the Disabled experience should be viewed.
    Simply, listen, and ask how to help change the systemic and institutional barriers we still face today and every day.

    And that is The View from Where I Sit!!!

  • Mythbusters!!!

    “Myths and Misconceptions“

    People make silly assumptions about people with disabilities. Many people form preconceived ideas about the disabled community at large. From personal experience, here are just a few: MYTH 1. DISABILITY IS A DEVASTATING PERSONAL TRAGEDY WITH NO CURE.
    • The Truth- The lives of disabled people are not tragic. The solution to disability is to remove the environmental and attitudinal barriers which are the real causes of the disabling process.
    MYTH 2. SOMEONE WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION IS LESS INTELLIGENT.
    • The Truth- There is no connection between mental health and intellectual ability. A quarter of people in the UK will have a mental health condition at some time in their lifetime regardless of their IQ score.
    MYTH 3. BLIND PEOPLE ACQUIRE A SIXTH SENSE.
    • The Truth- Other senses may be used to gain accurate information but there is no such thing as a sixth sense.
    MYTH 4. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT ASK PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR DISABILITIES.
    • The Truth- Some adults find the natural, uninhibited curiosity of children embarrassing. Reprimanding children for asking questions may cause them to think there is something ‘bad’ about disability. Most disabled people will not mind answering a child’s question.
    MYTH 5. DISABILITY AND ILLNESS ARE INTERRELATED.
    • The Truth- Disabled people are not necessarily sick but are subject to the same illnesses as any other person.
    MYTH 6. DISABLED PEOPLE ALWAYS NEED HELP AND MAY BE DEPENDENT.
    • The Truth- Being physically unable to do something does not cause dependency-not being able to drive is solved by using the services of a bus or train company. Disabled people may require different services and it is only when choice over those services is removed that dependency occurs.
    MYTH 7. MOST DISABLED PEOPLE ARE UNABLE TO HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS.
    • The Truth- People with disabilities, like other people, are sexual beings. They can have relationships and children.
    MYTH 8. DISABLED PEOPLE ARE BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS.
    • The Truth- The experience of disability requires an adaptation of lifestyle rather than bravery and courage. It should be viewed, in many ways, as similar to any other significant life event.
    MYTH 9. WHEELCHAIR USE IS CONFINING- USERS ARE LITERALLY ‘BOUND’.
    • The Truth- A wheelchair, like a shoe or a car, is a mobility aid that enables a person to get around. Wheelchair users are restricted by an environment that has been designed for able-bodied living.
    MYTH 10. THE EXPECTATIONS OF DISABLED PEOPLE DIFFER FROM OTHERS.
    • The Truth- Disabled people go to school, work, form relationships, do their laundry, eat, get angry, pay taxes, laugh, have prejudices, vote, plan and dream like anyone else.
    So now that I’ve exposed these myths, this article should bring awareness and end the stigma of disablism and ableism.