In the human rights arena, an area that usually does not get a lot of traction is that of disability rights. This continues despite the reality that disability discrimination is incredibly common and impacts the lives of those with both visible and invisible disabilities.
The discrimination against people with disabilities (PWD) often results in them being provided unequal services, unequal payments and being denied academic and professional opportunities. Amongst the most common points of disability advocacy is the need for accessibility. It is something that many able-bodied persons never consider until it hits close to home or they have brief but personal experiences of being disabled, such as breaking a leg. While schools, places of business and entertainment spots etc. will not outright state that they do not serve disabled persons, lack of accessible mechanisms all but ensure that.
When we think of discrimination, we tend to view it as being a hostile act but passive acts, such as the omission of inclusive designs, including wider doors and wheelchair ramps, bring about the same exclusion. These physical limitations and blocked opportunities are usually framed as being an unavoidable consequence of living with a disability, but the reality is that they are merely products of our ableist beliefs surrounding those who require different types of support. While accessibility does not solve the issues of disability discrimination, it does have the ability to either perpetuate or remove several categories of disability discrimination all at the same time.
The concept of ableism is often a foreign one for a lot of people as disability rights are often ignored and/or not seen as a “sexy” advocacy issue. It does not help that a lot of ableism is centred around micro-aggressions, small acts that dehumanise people with disabilities and which are usually framed as not being as serious. These micro-aggressions however, accumulate, and do long term harm and can often also develop into deadly forms of ableism, such as restricting access to freedom and food as persons might not be seen as deserving. Moving away from a culture of ableism means putting efforts into ensuring that PWD have equal rights, equal opportunities and equal access. It is useful to note that while disability is a unique experience, it is not separate from other aspects of our identities, such as racism, classicism, sexism, homo/transphobia, etc. These intersections demonstrate the need to work together to achieve equality rather than steadily being in competition for attention and resources.
The things that can be done to fix or lessen the impacts of ableist discrimination against PWD have long been well known, but there has been a marked reluctance to meet these needs. It is only when able-bodied persons begin to experience some of the challenges faced by those with disabilities that we begin to see changes. We have only to look at the way many accommodations were made during the COVID-19 pandemic to see the evidence of this. With the pandemic restricting access to a lot of services and institutions, resulting in many people experiencing facets of disablement, supportive mechanisms that were long deemed as impossible, suddenly became possible. While the willingness to offer flexibility is certainly welcomed, it was also a slap in the face for many disability advocates who have long lobbied for things such as online classes and remote working.
This ties into the value that is placed on disabled persons. Rarely is their value seen as inherent, but rather, something that has to be demonstrated or earned. This is partly why those with disabilities who are mainly visible are those who are seen as inspirational or exceptional. This helps to promote the idea that your value as a human is tied to how productive you are and how one must persevere in spite of challenges. This is why when disabled person’s lives do not measure up to other people’s idea of what a “life worth living” looks like, they are offered sympathy or are simply ignored. Whether it is done consciously or unconsciously, people are treated differently because of their disabilities, and existing in a capitalist system where people’s values are seen as dependent on their productivity and work ethic will always put PWD at a disadvantage.
Of course, many people would agree that disability rights are necessary. After all, it is fairly easy to say that those with disabilities are equal, but when it comes to the way disabled people are treated, the value they are seen to have and what they are owed by society, people are a bit more reluctant to agree that they are not less than others. The disability rights movement developed through an interest in championing the rights and wellbeing of those who have been marginalised by society. Disability is not solely a medical condition, but also a social, cultural and political identity that can shape one’s life and people’s responses to you. It is time that we begin centering the stories and struggles of those with disabilities as ultimately, a more accessible and equitable society benefits us all.
