In my life with Cerebral Palsy I have been exposed to many forms of Ableism whether it was noticeable or not and we continue as a society to struggle with the different terms for Ableism.
Most people ask me how I deal with ableism as a whole. Do I get angry and upset or do I continue to speak my truth when it comes to ableism or do I just ignore it?
If someone attempts to project ableism on me, education is the best response. However, your first instinct is to get angry. That is not the best way to deal with it. The best way to handle ableism is to educate others on the why wrong they have toward a person with a disability.
In my opinion, the voice is the most powerful tool and you have the ability to express your thoughts and your truth. Everyone has the ability to express themselves in society, regardless of their disability, and the possibilities are endless.
Using your voice comes along way when it comes to dealing with able ism I have a three step method
1. Observation -listen to the person who has that perspective on someone with a disability without saying a single word. I believe that’s the first step to education
2. Create a contact -while you might be annoyed that they don’t seem to be getting the point most of the time, it is important that you establish a contact for a proper conversation
3. One of the most important steps in handling ableism is educating others about why their actions or dialogue might be considered ableist. This also gives you a chance to have a positive conversation rather than a negative one. Additionally, we will bring awareness to disabilities and what it means for us to live in the modern age.
Unfortunately, I think that ableism will always be around, but if we take the necessary steps to educate and ensure people that we are moving in the right direction, I think we will see less ableism and more acceptance in the future.
