(Image from http://ableismonline.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/ableism.jpg)
Ableism is probably the least discussed form of social inequality.
Definition: Ableism is a form of discrimination in which preference is shown to people who appear able-bodied. The language surrounding the definition of ableism is almost as charged as ableism itself, as many definitions rely on ideas like “normal” people as opposed to those who are “abnormal,” which raises the ire of activists. Some disabled activists even dislike the term “ableism,” preferring to use “disabilism,” which enforces the idea that this form of discrimination involves the targeting of people with obvious physical or mental disabilities (from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ableism.htm)
Recent articles on ableism:
Huffington Post: Parking Abuse and the Disabled
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-slayton/parking-abuse-and-the-dis_b_3462...
Excerpt from the article: "There are two forms of this kind of abuse. The first, and much more common form, involves obtaining a legitimate placard, when there is no disability. According to a recent article in the New York Times, in California, with roughly 25 million drivers, there are 2.5 million permits; this is triple the number from fifteen years ago. While most of those requests are legal and based on real health issues, it seems unlikely that the number of folks with sci or other conditions has actually ballooned to that extent. The website handicappedfraud.org carries the following story: "My Grandfather has a blue placard issued from his Doctor. My Grandfather suffers from Macular Degeneration, is 80% blind, has dementia, and is barely mobile with the use of a walker. While driving my Grandfather to the hospital, we approached the bank of handicapped parking spaces. Thankfully, I could see there was a single space left. As I approached, a snazzy red Corvette zipped into the handicapped parking space, and the woman rummaged in her glove box - pulling out a placard and hanging it on her rearview mirror. She jumped out of the car, doing a quick glance around and went quickly into the Hospital."
Feministing: Government Reports Underestimate Rape Rates of Women and People with Disabilities
http://www.feministing.com/archives/018714.html
Excerpt from the article: "Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, for example, excluded institutionalized people with disabilities - a huge omissions considering that sexual assault and abuse happen at extremely high rates in institutional settings. Schafran and Weinberger also note that the statistic in the report related to reporting abuse to the police is only "based on 10 or fewer sample cases."
For more information:
Bad Cripple
http://badcripple.blogspot.com/2009/04/ableism-and-water-shed-experience.html
SOAW: Ableism, Accessibility, and Inclusion
http://soaw.org/article.php?id=607
Ableism Online
http://ableismonline.wordpress.com/
"Status is Everything": These are the words repeated in the
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