Disability Related Microaggressions
Contents
- What are Disability Related Microaggressions?
- What do Disability Related Microaggressions look like?
- How to recognise Disability Related Microaggressions
- 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.