Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond on Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice
Today’s guest takes us on a fascinating and educational journey into ableism, the study of disabilities and prejudices of disabilities.
Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond, a social psychologist at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, joins Amanda and Vickie to discuss changing people’s perceptions about disability.
Michelle is the author of Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice, and the mom of a 23-year old daughter with spina bifida, who was raised to be a proud, disabled woman.
Show Highlights:
- Michelle provides an overview of the origins of ableism, and of which literature can be found in political science, psychoanalysis, psychology, and disability studies.
- There are several distinct sources of prejudice that impact individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, such as:
- an evolutionary/biological basis for fear: humans have a need to feel safe and secure, and might have avoided those who signaled poor health, even in those instances where there was no contamination factor.
- the fear of becoming disabled, since most disability is acquired through spinal cord injury or old age.
- how the media portrays individuals.
- Ableism is the study of prejudice and discrimination against people who are considered to have a disability.
- The ABC’s of ableism:
- A - attitudes
- B - behaviors
- C - cognitions
- Michelle addresses the preferred language to use when referring to the disabled. Are they “living with a disability” or do they “have” a disability? Just ask the person their preference! Everyone will have a reason why they prefer one term over the other.
- “Experiencing” a mental health “condition” is a kinder way than saying “mental illness” because the latter term pathologizes those who have depression, schizophrenia, etc.
- There’s a new hashtag out from people working in this field doing disability studies and activism, reminding others that disability isn’t a bad word: #saytheword.
- Although born of existing legislation, when we continue to use the words “special needs” we occlude the notion that these are human needs and civil rights.
- Michelle, Amanda, and Vickie discuss essential and non-essential qualifiers in the context of a conversation, and the “R” word.
- Peer-pressure holds a lot of power.
- One way to speak up when someone is being micro-aggressive is to ask, “What did you mean by that?”
- Michelle shares a personal story and the resulting lesson she learned when she made a faux pas during an encounter with a young woman with Down’s Syndrome at a theme park.
- Michelle discusses her next steps, which include policy issues.
Links/Resources:
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Get the Book Here! Read Excerpts Here!
Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice, by Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond
Mentioned Hashtags:
- #saytheword
- #cripthevote