Voices of Diversity: Ability and Disability

Full Answer Section

 

I’ve watched the Voices of Diversity: Ability and Disability video and I’m inspired by the following statement:

“We need to be more aware of the ways in which we are ableist, and how our ableism can impact the lives of people with disabilities.”

This statement made me think about how often I make assumptions about people’s abilities based on their appearance or behavior. For example, I might assume that someone in a wheelchair can’t walk, or that someone who is blind can’t see. These assumptions can be harmful, because they can lead to us underestimating people’s abilities and opportunities.

I’ve been doing some research online and in the Walden Library, and I’ve found the following scholarly resource that furthers my understanding of this topic:

The Social Model of Disability by Michael Oliver
In this article, Oliver argues that disability is not a medical condition, but rather a social construct. He argues that people with disabilities are disabled by society, not by their bodies. This means that the way we design our society, our institutions, and our environment can either enable or disable people with disabilities.

I think this is an important concept to understand, because it helps us to see that disability is not something that is fixed or inevitable. It is something that can be changed, by changing the way we think about and interact with people with disabilities.

I’m going to share my findings with my colleagues, and I’m going to start thinking more critically about the ways in which I am ableist. I’m also going to start looking for ways to make my own life and the world around me more accessible to people with disabilities.

I think it’s important to have these conversations about ability and disability, because they can help us to create a more inclusive and equitable society.