Understanding Ableism
📋 What it is
Ableism is unfair treatment or assumptions based on disability — often unintentional, and important to recognize.
🗣️ Coach says
Ableism is treating disabled people as "less" — sometimes obvious (mocking, excluding), often subtle (assuming what someone can’t do, or "inspiration" that treats ordinary life as amazing). Most people don’t mean to be ableist; recognizing it is how we stop it. The fix is respect, access, and letting people speak for themselves.
🧠 Memory hook
Ableism = treating disability as "less" (often unintentional). Recognize it → respect + access fix it.
😂 Giggle
I make websites usable for everyone, I have rules called WCAG, and designers sometimes forget about me. What am I?
Web accessibility!
😲 Whoa!
"Inspiration" that praises a disabled person just for living their normal life can actually be a subtle form of ableism.
✅ Quick check: Is ableism always intentional?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
No — it’s often unintentional (like assumptions or "inspiration"); recognizing it is how we stop it.
Much ableism is subtle and unmeant; awareness is the first fix.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Learn one subtle form of ableism (like assuming what someone can’t do) and how to avoid it.