Let’s start with that point from earlier that it...

31st July 2012

Let’s start with that point from earlier that it DOES suck — in this society — not to have the same freedom of movement an abled person. (Although of course, here, we’re already starting in with ableist assumptions, because a big portion of the reason it sucks is because society is set up for people with bodies we consider normal.) OK, so let’s rephrase. Having functional legs is useful. Therefore, the state of having legs which are not as functional as other legs is not as nice as the state of having normally functional legs. (Again, there’s some ableism around the concept of normal, but moving on.)

But even accepting that impairment to mobility is itself a sucky thing, MAYBE DISABLED PEOPLE DO NOT APPRECIATE BEING THE CULTURAL GO-TO FOR THINGS THAT SUCK.

And maybe — since people have been historically all-too-willing to relieve disabled people of the burden of having to live through all that suckiness — just maybe disability activists know what the fuck they’re talking about when they say that the constant condensation of visible disability with “suckiness” as a metaphorical cultural touchstone has real, concrete, and evil ramifications on the lives of people with disabilities.

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“Why Not to Use the Word Lame”

There’s been a lot of talking about ableist words and what ones are okay to use and what ones aren’t, and I always think about this post when I see that stuff. It focuses specifically on the word lame and the use of it by able-bodied people, but the point of it really works for any word that is ableist in root or has ableist connotations.

I do get weird feelings whenever the word cripple is used, and it’s because, like the author says, I hate feeling like so many go-to bad things in this world come back to being disabled, because I don’t think my body, or my life, is really that inherently horrible.

(via liquidiousfleshbag)

Perfection.

Tagged: disability ableism language