This course uses historical language and terms that may be offensive to some learners.
Ableism means showing preference for people without disabilities. It is the belief that people with disabilities have less worth than people without disabilities and need to be “fixed” or “cured.”1
We live in an ableist world often not designed for people with disabilities. This results in ableism that may be intentional or unintentional because society has normalized ableist behaviors. Ableism includes:
- Not complying with disability rights laws
- Building websites that do not meet accessibility standards
- Using the accessible bathroom stall when you are fully able to use the non-accessible stall
- Mocking someone with a disability
- Refusing to provide reasonable accommodations
- Eisenmenger, Ashley. “Ableism 101.” Access Living. Published 12 December 2019. https://www.accessliving.org/newsroom/blog/ableism-101/