rant till you can't

ableism: meriam

a•ble•ism
/ˈābəˌlizəm/
noun
discrimination in favor of able-bodied people

When I first came across the word ableism, I immediately wanted to know everything about. During my time doing research, I came across this article written by Erin Tatum and I feel like it is the perfect stepping stone to understand ableism.

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10 Ways to Avoid Everyday Ableism

October 4, 2013 by Erin Tatum

Since able-bodied privilege is one of the most unrecognizable forms of privilege in society, today we're going to talk about ten ways that you can avoid ableism in everyday life.

(As a disclaimer, I can only speak about my experience as a physically disabled person. In no way do I claim to speak for the entirety of the disabled community.)

1. Take the Stairs

If a person with a disability needs to use the elevator, this seems like a no-brainer, right?

Apparently not.

I can't count the number of times I've been waiting for an elevator with a large group of able-bodied people in front of me only to watch them all squeeze on and leave me to wait for the next one.

Obviously there can be exceptions for people with strollers and so on, but for the most part, the vast majority of people who do this are perfectly capable of climbing a flight or two of stairs - or, you know, maybe have the common courtesy not to push past a person with a disability to get first dibs on the elevator.

If you see a person with a disability in line behind you for the elevator, ask yourself, "Am I using this as a necessity or convenience?"

If it's the latter, climb the stairs or give the person with the disability priority.

2. Don't Use Handicapped Restrooms

Yet another commonsense rule.

Accessible restrooms are adapted for a reason, not just for the luxury of added space or privacy.

There are usually also at least three regular stalls for every handicapped restroom, so please don't be the jerk that uses the one bathroom available to the people with mobility impairments.

I have found that this issue makes people very annoyed because it's a choice that they make unconsciously and will try to come up with a list of circumstances where it's okay to use the accessible restroom.

Hint: It never is.

Also, I can't emphasize enough that if you're an employee of a given venue, that does not give you the "special privilege" of using the handicapped bathroom. It not only makes you look inconsiderate, but reflects badly on your employer as well.

3. Don't Patronize Us

I could go on about the offensive use of baby talk for hours, but what it boils down to is blanket stereotypes.

Don't assume someone's intellectual capacity based on their physical capabilities or lack thereof.

You would never assume that someone with poor grammar or a lisp couldn't use their body properly, so why on earth does the opposite apply?

When I was younger, I tried to write it off as a function of age, but still at 21, it's gotten to the point where even people younger than me will speak to me as though I'm five years old.Complete with baby talk and that excessive enthusiasm where everything sounds like a question