Ableism defined: What is ableism?

Ableism definition

Ableism is the automatic assumption that everyone is able-bodied and describes a form of discriminatory or exclusionary thinking or practice in favour of those who are able-bodied.

Ableism is best defined as an outcome of a preference or a bias being shown towards providing goods, services or the design or accessibility of facilities, in favour of those who are able-bodied. Ableism can sometimes be used interchangeably with the terms ‘disablism’ or ‘disablist’ which relate to the active discrimination of - or targeting of - disabled people. Ableism is explicitly focussed on the specific lack of thought or consideration for, and of, disabled people.

Ableism can manifest itself in employment as well. In the UK the rate of unemployment for those with a disability is almost twice as high as for those without one (6.2% as of 2023). Those with disabilities face challenges getting employed as well as feeling included in the workplace.

Real-world context

Exclusionary behaviours: Ableism has impact across all aspects of organisational activities, provisions, criterion, or practice as it indicates a lack of thought, or forethought, for anyone other than those who are able bodied. An exclusionary behaviour would for example involve organising activities for employees that are not accessible for those with a disability and failing to provide alternative and accessible arrangements.
Physical space: The most obvious and visible impact of ableism for organisations would be the lack of accessible buildings or office facilities, as well as the lack of foresight to consider whether any employee might need accessible services. Ableism would mean that there would be no thought for disabled employees, as the automatic assumption or expectation would be that all employees would be able-bodied (seen as “normative thinking”) and would therefore not need any reasonable adjustments to be made.
Recognition of invisible disability: The idea that disabilities are obvious is one of the most common misconceptions regarding them, but this couldn't be further from the reality. Cognitive disorders that are not readily apparent, such as dyslexia, ADHD, and severe anxiety or depression, yet have a profound effect on the lives of people they affect. It is hard to know, from the outside, what another person is going through. Because of this, criticising someone else's behaviour—saying things like how exhausted they are all the time, how they never go on company outings, or how they find it difficult to concentrate at work—can be harmful to others who are living with less obvious disabilities.

Ableism defined: What is ableism?

Ableism definition

Real-world context

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