Ableism and special places for special people
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Transcript of Ableism and special places for special people
The Construction of Disability & Health:
The Role of Spaces & PlacesAPHA Disability Section Chair’s Forum 2013
Ableism:A form of discrimination or social prejudice
against people with disabilitiesWikipedia.com
Tannis Hargrove
“Normalized culture makes it impossible to know that it creates itself by Otherizing those at its margins.”
~ Phil Smith, 2005
LandscapesPhysical Space• Lack of curb cuts, ramps, doors• physical inaccessibility as the default
Social Space • Lack of people with disabilities in the media, lack
of awareness of disability issues in general
Cultural Denial Privilege • Privilege in space – ramps in back vs. stairs in front – Not
having to think about these issues • Reinforcing “out of site out of mind” cultural attitude
Cost of Change• Money and power• Attitudes
Overcoming AbleismIdentifying Ableism in the collective & spatial consciousness• Creating awareness, education and advocacy• A new framework for viewing society as a whole
focusing on created space
For Your Consideration• What is your vision for a non-ableist world?
• Can a wheelchair user come over to your house?
• How can we shift the focus of the cost of change?
Beyond “Special Places for Special People”
Tannis Hargrove
“…rather than being born with a predisposition to recognize and categorize Other, we learn to categorize through cultural practice…”
~ Rob Kitchin 1998, 344
“Specialized” Cultural PracticeSpecial places usually associated with disability• Special ED• Transportation: “Short Bus” & Para-transit• Special Olympics• Special Populations: Emergency Planning
Special is Never Equal• Special creates the illusion “you get
something that I don’t”
• Creation of a divide – us vs. them•Amusement Park, Ski Hill lines•Creation of difference
Labeling and “Accessibility”• “Accessible” bathrooms
• “Accessible” parking
• Practically necessary for participation
• They create “special” places
For Your Consideration
• Do special places legitimize social segregation?
• How do special places contribute to health disparities among people with disabilities?