Disability, Culture, and Society

It isn’t our bodies that we need to be angry at, but the treatment dished out to people with impairments in a disabling society.

In his article titled “Why we are disabled people, not people with disabilities” (http://www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/why-we-are-disabled-people-not-people-with-disabilities#.WsqVfm8pWmQ.facebook) Dr. Colin Cameron explains the Social Model of Disability, with emphasis on the language, meaning, and history of Disability. He highlights the shift from a predominantly Medical/Individual Model in which disabled individuals were/are treated as infirm, to the Social Model in which “disability” has “come to denote the barriers disabled face, rather than the impairments [they] live with.” Cameron touches on Disability Arts, its origins in Disability Culture, and its importance in “the ongoing campaigning activity of disabled people for inclusion as equals on their own terms in ordinary community life.” He closes his article by reminding readers to remain ever-vigilant in “our words, actions and thoughts about disability.”

The text “Disability: A Diversity Model Approach in Human Service Practice” introduced the readers in Chapter One to “The Meanings and History of Disability in Society” while Chapter Three was devoted to the Moral and Medical Models of Disability. Chapter Four discusses “Disability Culture.” Cameron’s article encompasses all of these themes. He begins by asking “Why is it so important to us to be named as ‘disabled people’, rather than ‘people with disabilities’[?]”. Cameron argues that language, as the primary tool for understanding ourselves and the world in which we live, shapes our culture. Ableist language is a manifestation of prejudicial attitudes which perpetuate negative stereotypes that, ultimately, limit access and opportunities for disabled people. The disabled are a minority (just as some ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socio-economic classes, to name a few) and, as such, must constantly challenge societal perceptions. Language, argues Cameron, provides the means to do so. Through it, we can shift the focus from the individual back to the disability and create a society in which disabled people are valued as “whole” people with valuable, diverse contributions to make to the advancement of humanity. It is present-day society that disables those with impairments; addressing this is the foundation of Diversity Studies.

All the material presented thus far, as well as Cameron’s article, address the myriad of challenges disabled people face in achieving equity in the environment, employment, politics, housing, and many others that abled persons take for granted. A lot of progress has been made, especially since the passage of the American Disability Act in 1990, but it is the attitudes and perceptions of society that need the greatest change. Ableist language is arguably the greatest hinderance to progress, as it shapes our collective beliefs which, in turn, defines our culture. The greatest obstacle to overcome in combating ableist language is awareness; most offenses are truly unintentional. Awareness, through education, is the best weapon in our arsenal. We need to evaluate our personal beliefs, monitor our thoughts and behavior, and seek differing perspectives. We need to self-correct when we err, and challenge others when they do. We need to engage in conversations, listen to the experience of others, and broaden our world view. Only then can we hope to eventually live in a world where the focus is on acceptance, inclusion, and enlightenment.