I’m going to use this blog entry to develop a list of examples of everyday ableism, with the expectation that my list will grow over time.

Consider the following comments I made in a recent presentation at my professional society:

Ableism is the oppression, marginalization, subordination, and/or exploitation of people with disabilities. Ableism operates at multiple levels: from internalized beliefs; interactionally via stereotyping, stigma, and micro-aggressions; by obscuring disability experiences; defining “afflictions” to be “overcome” through individual effort and medical compliance; and by centering able-bodiedness as normalized, unremarkable, & invisible. Negative attitudes of non-disabled and disabled people can act as barriers restricting participation in life activities. Ableism is perpetuated by cultural ideologies in our language, entertainment, media, policy, and law.

Ableism affects everyone, whether or not they personally experience a disability or identify as a disabled person. Anyone can be harmed by ableism.

• I recently received an email from a student explaining why they had left my classroom somewhat abruptly towards the start of the meeting. It was an intensely hot and humid day and the HVAC system in our building was not cooling our classroom properly. The student has a medical condition that makes them especially susceptible to excessive temperatures. They had expected to be able to cool down after walking across campus, but our room was not appropriately cooled or ventilated. Subpar facilities that contribute to absences and thus hinder student learning is ableism.
• I attended a large organizational meeting with other faculty on my campus held in an older auditorium. Some presenters accommodated attendees by using the microphone when addressing the group. Other presenters asserted that they could speak loudly and therefore didn’t need to use the microphone. Assuming that everyone can hear you and overtly rejecting amplification systems—especially after its use was requested— is ableism.
• A poster session from an important curricular committee on my college campus was held recently in a crowded foyer of an academic building. There were several large portable bulletin boards, each with a much smaller poster pinned to it. Each poster was about 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide, occupying only about one-quarter the size of the bulletin board. The font was small for the venue, such that on at least one of the posters, there were as many as 50 lines of text, plus a large header. Generally speaking for posters, larger fonts are better and none should be smaller than 24-point. The small text size made the poster illegible and inaccessible, especially given that attendees were kept at a distance and actively discouraged from photography. Providing information in a limited format is ableism.

What are some other examples of everyday ableism?