ABLEISM
SARA YELICH-KOTH
This is the final revision to the project Schizophrenia Deconstructed that began in 2014. There is an updated monologue with more specific information about Niacin Treatment as well as a brand new chapter about the role of trauma, healing and psychosis. This is a presentation for students and practitioners in the field of mental/emotional health, with the intent to create more health care providers who are trained in orthomolecular therapy for psychosis and the many causes of psychosis. Below is a link to Sara Yk's story as published by Robert Whitaker's website Mad in America.
https://www.madinamerica.com/2017/06/schizophrenia-deconstructed/
Activists, World Changers, Disabled Heroes, Fighters, and Educators:
“There is no form of capitalism that values disabled people. I didn’t overcome my disability, I overcame you and your ableist society.” – Imani Barbarin
Imani Barbarin
Crutches & Spice
Featured in Forbes Magazine
Global Comms MA
Lydia X.Z. Brown, Esq
Autistic Hoya
Writer, Advocate, Organizer, Strategist, Educator, Speaker, Attorney, Autistic PoC Fund Founder/Co-Director
Drag Syndrome
Drag troop featuring fierce drag kings and queens with Down Syndrome
Tiana Mercius, JD
Four Wheel Workout
Lawyer, Member of several student associations: Black Law Students Association, Latino Law Students Association,
Public Interest Law Committee, graduated from Southwestern Law School
Esme Weijun Wang
NYT Best Seller, Author of The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays, The Border of Paradise
Cal Montgomery
Former ADAPT Leader
Disability Rights Activist
@HijaDe2Madre on Twitter
https://twitter.com/HijaDe2Madre?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
DissentClothing
Rebirth Garments
Gender non-conforming custom clothing for the full spectrum of gender, size, and ability
Talila Lewis
Activist
Alice Wong
Founder and Director of DisVisibility
Ola Ojewumo
Founder of Project Transcend
Jaipreet Virdi
Author of Hearing Happiness
Kerima Cevik
Creator of Autistic While Black
Blogs on divergence in neurology, race, and parenting disabled teens
http://theautismwars.blogspot.com/
Pansy St Battie
Professional Model
DEFINITION
ABLEISM = discrimination towards/ against people with disabilities (including, but not limited to, physical illnesses, mental illnesses, invisible illnesses, etc)
RELATED TERMINOLOGY
Ableist language to avoid: (*please note that some of these terms are considered slurs; however, please avoid using all these words in your vocabulary*)
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“Wheelchair bound”: implies that wheelchairs are confining or restrictive
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Try instead: “uses a wheelchair” or “in a wheelchair”
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“Cripple/Crippled”: derogatory word for a person with disabilities
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Try instead: “person with disabilities”
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“Midget”: derogatory word for a person who is short or has dwarfism
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Try instead: “short person”
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“Psycho (or variations)”: derogatory word for a person with mental/ psychiatric disabilities
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Try instead: “person with mental illness”
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“Retard (or variations)”: derogatory word for a person with mental/ learning disabilities
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Try instead: “person with mental illness”
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Looking for a word to describe something negative, difficult, frustrating, etc? Don’t use ableist language to describe these phenomena!
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Avoid: psycho, retard, madman, deformed, special needs, idiotic, crazy
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Okay: zany, wild, unpredictable, clumsy, challenging, reckless
When describing a person with disabilities, avoid saying “____ person.” Instead, phrase as “person with ____.” Illnesses don’t define a human being, and they are a person before their disability.
Ex: Downs person person with down syndrome
Ex: disabled person person with disabilities
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
A sort of dictionary listing ableist words and substitutions for them:
https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html
Exercises for people who use wheelchairs. Created to “deliver mobility and accessibility” solutions to people who face limited physical mobility:
https://101mobility.com/blog/wheelchair-exercises/
Info about autism and list of artists with autism. Meant to connect and empower people with autism through the Arts and collaboration by providing resources and awareness:
https://the-art-of-autism.com/what-is-ableism/
Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World-Artwork sold by people with disabilities:
Support Groups:
“This is Me” is an online support group that focuses on the discriminations that people with dissabilities face. Stories are shared to encourage others that struggle with the same issues and they serve as a way to speak out about ableism:
https://www.invisibledisabilityproject.org/this-is-me
The Association for Persons in Supported Employment (APSE) is an organization that offers employment opportunities specifically for people with disabilities. As advocates they focus on topics such as inclusion, fair pay, dignity, and advocacy:
National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is a blog meant to inspire and motivate disabled people. Content includes documentaries and stories of people's disabilities and rights as well as talks meant to empower the youth:
National Alliance on Mental Illness. Developed to provide support, resources, education, advocacy for all those affected by mental illness:
https://www.nami.org/find-support/nami-programs/nami-family-support-group
Legal Representation:
Government website about The Americans with Disability Act. The legislation provides legal protection for people with disabilities:
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) official website. They work to protect civil liberties of all people, including those with disabilities: