You don't have to go very far before you hear examples of pitiful language and the rampant romanticisation of disability in our society. From notions characterising people with disability as heroic battlers fighting off impairment, to feelings of commiseration which forces us to view disability as nothing more than just 'bad-luck'.
Disability is conceptualised, glorified, romanticised, brutalised and most of all, it is 'pitified'. Disability has been a defining characteristic of human diversity since we learned to look up. It has been something that has stayed with us since we could even barely conceive of what humanity was and is becoming.
Historically, disability has been constructed as an inhibitor - as something that makes those who experience it the proverbial 'other' and which categorises gradations of disability as going from just having a bad day, all the way down to being victim of the full wrath of God and his heavenly powers.
But one itching question keeps baying at our collective consciousness: if disability has remained an experience so common to the human condition, why then is it seen as aberrant? Would it therefore, after all these years, be now considered a constituent factor in human diversity, like ethnicity, gender and race?
Thankfully, a shifting attitude is gaining momentum in many societies around the world, and certainly so here in Australia. But there is still a very long way to go, and we certainly need to engage far more deeply in discussions about it.
Attempts to 'weed-out' disability have featured prominently in the historical context, but are still apparent in many societies. It is evident that in our collective past, disability was viewed far less romantically as even some of the most well-intentioned, but misguided, characterisations would view it today.
Contemporarily, we would like to think that perhaps conditions and experiences are better, and they appear to be so, relatively speaking. But in order to fully realise our ableism and to confront it, we must recognise first that disability is a factor in what it means to be human.
It does not exist in opposition to our ideal, it actually reinforces it - we conceive of a humanity that is diverse in all proportions, and one where disability is not routinely 'weeded out' but celebrated.
These are not discussions which are easily held. They evoke strong emotions and are difficult. Yet, like all great leaps in human societal progress, the first step is always to actually sit down, have a cup of tea, and begin talking.
Though, one could argue that it is certainly not incumbent upon people living with disability to educate the masses on their experiences (and it isn't); we can avail ourselves of the enormous wealth of information that exists online and in print. There is no shortage of literature and resources that can help us redefine our views. Practically all of these resources are at our fingertips and mostly freely available.
Amy Oulton's enlightening TedX talk, for example, highlighted some of the frustrations people with a disability face on a day to day basis. Her discussion indicated that the dominant medical model of disability - which views it as an abrogation of 'normal' human functioning - is pertinent here.
Some of the most memorable quotations gathered from this talk elucidate the nature of mainstream society to conceive of disability as an heroic condition, where people are endowed with superhero qualities which imbue them with dignity, as Oulton notes:
"There was one man, who on three separate occasions on a bus route...insisted on congratulating me on getting out and not letting "it" hold me back"
Disability is not heroic in a traditional sense. Certainly, one would almost never conceive of a person of colour being heroic just for existing on this earth as a person of colour. What disability is, is an aspect of our diversity as a species, and is contributory to our beauty and variety as a result.
Amy notes that in order for real and meaningful change to occur, we (as in, society) need to engage in :
..."making those changes [which] requires discussion and a commitment to doing better"
And we can first start doing this by rejecting disability as an inhibitor - whether the wrath of God, or simply bad luck, disability is not stupendously the domain of the pitied who are to be 'felt sorry for', but is as human and genuine as our very diversity and soul. Ableist beliefs don't need romanticisation. They need humanity, and that is all that needs to be remedied here.
Empathy for the plight of communities that have experienced marginalisation is not something to view as weakness, but is vital if our collective efforts to reduce stigma and enhance understanding are to be fully realised.
We need fewer superhero narratives and more human discussions about what it means to live. We need narratives of grittiness and sober reality to communicate our diversity more effectively than would-be heroic tropes.
And we can always start now, just turn the kettle on.
