Disability Related Microaggressions

Contents

  1. What are Disability Related Microaggressions?
  2. What do Disability Related Microaggressions look like?
  3. How to recognise Disability Related Microaggressions
  4. Disability Micro Affirmative Behaviours

1. What are Disability Related Microaggressions?

Disability related microaggressions are a form of discrimination and ableism.

To get a better understanding of disability related microaggression it is important to understand ableism...

What is ableism?

Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people who have disabilities or who are perceived to have disabilities. It can take the form of ideas and assumptions, stereotypes, attitudes and practices, physical barriers in the environment or larger scale oppression. 

Ableism is often unintentional, and most people are completely unaware of the impact of their words or actions.

Ableism devalues and limits the potential of people who have developmental, emotional, physical or psychiatric disabilities.

Examples of ableism

Belittling the need for:

  • Mobility devices
  • Accessible parking
  • Assistive technology or interpreters
  • The need to take medication
  • Doctor’s appointments

Or any other considerations that people without disabilities typically don’t need to think about, but people with disabilities do.

Knowing someone with a disability or living with a disability yourself does not make you immune to ableism.

2. What do Disability related Microaggressions look like?

In addition to the behaviour highlighted above, Disability related micro-aggressive behaviours can be verbal, non-verbal or environmental.

 

 

Disability Microaggressions include Making assumptions about an individual’s skills, abilities, and temperament based on stereotypes. This includes physical as well as mental/academic capacity, e.g. assuming the capacity of someone who is physically disabled, Not asking for input into work or a project a person is involved in, not taking them seriously, and seeing only the disability not the whole person, Being made to feel other, Neurodivergent people often feel as if they didn’t get the memo so ostracising behaviours can enhance this feeling, using a condescending voice to explain, Being actively ignored and excluded from meeting and group activities, Accusing people with a disability or accessibility needs of being difficult, Interrupting someone when they’re speaking, or completing their sentences because they’re being too slow making their point, Not being invited to senior meetings because they might not behave in a neurotypical manner, Insisting people behave in neurotypical ways, Eye rolling, sniggering, mocking someone with a disability, No believing or accepting someone has a disability of learning difference, particularly if it non-visible such as neurodivergence, Using equipment labelled for someone with adjustment requirements when not required, Not understanding the challenges faced buy neurodivergent individuals, Not greeting someone with a disability, assuming they will not know how to respond or talk to you, Intentionally not extending social invites, Making a fun about needing to make and accommodate adjustments, Not providing additional support or reasonable adjustments as requested, Assigning someone with a disability is incompetent, Overstepping boundaries, Otherisation.

 

 

 

 

3. How to recognise Disability related Microaggressions

We've collected some examples of verbal Disability related Microaggressions, with an explanation of why these comments or questions can be offensive, insulting or insensitive

Disability Microaggression - Asking someone who is neurodivergent to keep to the point in a meeting or telling them you have five minutes - publicly setting a time limit and signalling they talk too much Example of a microaggression: Asking “Why don't you understand? it's easy! - signalling to a neurodivergent individual they're not understanding because they're not thinking in neurotypical ways Example of a microaggression: Saying “I'm so OCD about my desk - making casual remarks that trivialise disability. Example of a microaggression: Saying “They're definitely on the spectrum - highlighting and making light of neurodivergent behaviour. Example of a microaggression: saying Wow I am so autistic today, or Urgh I can't read I'm totally dyslexic - making remarks that trivialise the disability. Example of a microaggression: Asking Are you dyslexic? You seem perfectly normal to me - assuming all disabilities are physical or visible. Example of a microaggression: Asking What's actually wrong with you, or Oh no what happened to you - signalling there is something wrong with someone with a disability and directly pointing it out regardless of whether they are comfortable sharing. Example of a microaggression: Saying OHh, wow, you’re such an inspiration, look what you’ve achieved or You’re so resilient, despite your disability you’ve achieved something! - patronising and condescending, assumes a person is no normal and was not considered competent enough to overcome hardships. Example of a microaggression: Asking Oh, you can do that, too? - assuming someones capabilities due to their disability. Such as assuming someone with a physical disability also has a learning disability. Example of a microaggression: Saying I don’t know how you do it or I could never deal with that or I would hate to be you - assumes someone is ‘suffering’ with their disability Example of a microaggression: Saying Oh you look so normal or You don’t look disabled! - should someone with a disability look unwell? You do not decide what counts as a disability. Example of a microaggression: Asking how do you cope? Life must be difficult for you - makes assumptions about individuals health and wellbeing. Example of a microaggression: Asking Shall I help you with that? Here let me do it for you - assumes helplessness or incompetence, as well as impatience at a slower pace. Applies to both physical disabilities and neurodivergence. Example of a microaggression: Saying Oh she’s off again. Probably because of her condition - you know what she’s like - minimises someone’s disability. Example of a microaggression: Saying Oh you have Aspergers syndrome - so you don’t have a real disability! - minimises an individuals’ disability and experiences. Example of a microaggression: Asking Can you check prescriptions accurately when you’re dyslexic? - assuming people with a learning difference are incompetent. Example of a microaggression: Asking Are you drunk again? - assumes about someone’s behaviour; however, unsteadiness can cause staggering gait. Example of a microaggression: Asking Oh, sorry am I boring you? - some medications can cause yawning. As pharmacists, we should recognise drug side effects and behaviours. Example of a microaggression: Saying She’s really stand-offish - assumes someone is deliberately ignoring you. However, Neurodivergence takes many forms and face-blindness makes social recognition more difficult. Example of a microaggression: Saying They’re so rude - introversion or characteristics of introversion are not uncommon in neurodivergent people. Example of a microaggression: Speaking negatively about disabled people in front of someone with a disability and then saying Oh I didn’t mean you Example of a microaggression: Asking Have you tried this remedy or medication exercise - it worked for a friend/family - assuming someone with a disability wants your advice. Example of a microaggression: Asking But you were alright yesterday, what's wrong today - not understanding how individuals health and abilities fluctuate. Example of a microaggression: Asking But you can walk - why do need a wheelchair? assuming someone is being lazy or using it as an excuse to help mobility if they're able walk. Example of a microaggression: Saying They're different - describing someone who is neurodivergent in this way implies they are inferior to a neurotypical person.

4. Disability Micro Affirmative Behaviours

You have a duty to ensure that you’re not acting in a discriminatory manner, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Take positive micro-affirmative actions to be disability inclusive and prevent microaggressions. Encourage an inclusive culture which is understanding and open to education. Provide support and comfort for individuals and create new positive behaviours.

Everyday micro-affirmations

  • Be considerate of how information is processed and received by a neurodivergent person and adapt appropriately
  • Be more considerate in the language you use to describe disabilities. Use terminology such as “Neurodiverse” or “Neurodivergence”, and “learning differences” rather than “learning disabilities”
  • When considering an adjustment for an individual, ask could this adjustment be applied to all or benefit the whole room? For example, if someone needs arms on their chairs could all the chairs have arms?
  • Be mindful of how neurodivergent individuals or someone with learning differences respond to or understand the world; adapt your behaviours accordingly
  • Have a greater empathy for someone with a learning difference or neurodivergence, and how they undertake tasks
  • Have a better understanding about stressors for neurodivergent staff. For example, last minute ward rota changes can disrupt coping mechanisms and place individuals under unnecessary pressure
  • Be considerate of how information is processed and received by someone who is neurodivergent; adapt appropriately
  • Consider accessibility or adjustments for staff members across all abilities when considering workflow changes.

Download our posters

In addition to the behaviour highlighted above, Disability related micro-aggressive behaviours can be verbal, non-verbal or environmental.

Download our posters below, on recognising Disability related Microaggressions, and examples of Disability related Microaggressions.

A thumbnail of the RPS A3-sized Disability-Related Microaggressions poster A thumbnail of the A3-sized RPS