Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond on Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice

Inclusive Education Project (IEP) Podcast

Today’s guest takes us on a fascinating and educational journey into ableism, the study of disabilities and prejudices of disabilities.

Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond, a social psychologist at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, joins Amanda and Vickie to discuss changing people’s perceptions about disability.

Michelle is the author of Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice, and the mom of a 23-year old daughter with spina bifida, who was raised to be a proud, disabled woman.

Show Highlights:

• Michelle provides an overview of the origins of ableism, and of which literature can be found in political science, psychoanalysis, psychology, and disability studies.
• There are several distinct sources of prejudice that impact individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, such as:
• an evolutionary/biological basis for fear: humans have a need to feel safe and secure, and might have avoided those who signaled poor health, even in those instances where there was no contamination factor.
• the fear of becoming disabled, since most disability is acquired through spinal cord injury or old age.
• how the media portrays individuals.
• Ableism is the study of prejudice and discrimination against people who are considered to have a disability.
• The ABC’s of ableism:
• A - attitudes
• B - behaviors
• C - cognitions
• Michelle addresses the preferred language to use when referring to the disabled. Are they “living with a disability” or do they “have” a disability? Just ask the person their preference! Everyone will have a reason why they prefer one term over the other.
• “Experiencing” a mental health “condition” is a kinder way than saying “mental illness” because the latter term pathologizes those who have depression, schizophrenia, etc.
• There’s a new hashtag out from people working in this field doing disability studies and activism, reminding others that disability isn’t a bad word: #saytheword.
• Although born of existing legislation, when we continue to use the words “special needs” we occlude the notion that these are human needs and civil rights.
• Michelle, Amanda, and Vickie discuss essential and non-essential qualifiers in the context of a conversation, and the “R” word.
• Peer-pressure holds a lot of power.
• One way to speak up when someone is being micro-aggressive is to ask, “What did you mean by that?”
• Michelle shares a personal story and the resulting lesson she learned when she made a faux pas during an encounter with a young woman with Down’s Syndrome at a theme park.
• Michelle discusses her next steps, which include policy issues.

Links/Resources:

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Get the Book Here! Read Excerpts Here!

Ableism: The Causes and Consequences of Disability Prejudice, by Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond

Mentioned Hashtags:

• #saytheword
• #cripthevote