Ableism

1. Ableism

https://www.reddit.com/r/socialism/comments/5dt56z/so_we_need_to_talk_about_ableism/

r/Socialism Post - We need to Talk about Ableism

So... we need to talk. About ableism.

I personally have removed three posts and banned two users for ableism in one week. This does not bode well for the community here at all. It indicates either a fundamental misunderstanding of what ableism is, or a lack of concern. Either way, we mods must clearly take a harder stance.

What is ableism?

Ableism, also known as disableism, can be understood as either discrimination/hateful behaviour against those with (socially defined) atypical physical and mental abilities, or the ideology crafted to defend such. Like any other form of oppression, ableist conduct ranges from casual commentary, to use of slurs, to directly violent speech and bodily harm. As a form of oppression, it cannot be tolerated in socialist environments and its opposition is an integral part of our movement.

Related: Neurodivergent versus neurotypical

When it comes to mental abilities (and ableism along these lines), it may help to use the categories of neurotypical and neurodivergent. These are socially defined, not rooted in nature. People who are neurotypical have the mental abilities broader society expects of them, and those who are neurodivergent have different abilities - they diverge from the norm. This doesn't make them better or worse, but just different - perhaps better off or worse off due to societal expectations. Generally, people (self-)diagnosed with any autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc., are considered neurodivergent.

Ableism in law

The consequences of ableism also affect the kind of legislation done by the state and which actions it executes. For example, despite great progressive strides in reform that we have in most countries due to the historical disability rights movement, modern urban development (building of roads, signage, pedestrian infrastructure, etc.) may negatively impact those with vision or mobility impairment. Standardised testing regimes may neglect the needs of those with different learning abilities. In the era of austerity, those who are not typically abled bear the brunt of unemployment, housing complications and insufficent welfare; in fact, the transition to workfare (welfare contingent on the search for work) places prohibitive burden. Clearly opposition to ableism is not only an interpersonal endeavour, but a political project.

What are some examples?

Ableism, unfortunately, is enmeshed in all kinds of behaviours, but the following list should give a general guide on where to watch for it. In ascending order, the examples are more readily accepted to be ableist, and in descending order, they are more likely to be found online:

Abusing someone's abilities or their lack of social power because of it for your own gain in any manner,
Using ableist slurs generally considered impolite (e.g. r-t-rd, ps-ch-t-c, m-r-n, etc.),
Saying ableist slurs not generally considered impolite (e.g. st-p-d, id--t, d-mb, cr-zy, etc.),
Gaslighting neurodivergent people or dismissing their judgment in any manner,
Generally insulting one's intelligence specifically or their physical abilities (no slurs necessary for this one), and
Failing to attempt to make information, media and activities accessible to people with different abilities.

The first two examples are probably the easiest to avoid. Number three (3) is also trivial, but may be complicated by the propensity to act in a manner similar to example five (5). It deserves special attention.

But how do I insult someone's intelligence?!

The short answer is - you don't. The long answer is - you can point out the faults in the ideas that people express without making it about them personally. Furthermore, you can condemn a person without calling them less able. For example, we don't oppose fascists because they have different mental abilities (on the aggregate, they don't), physical abilities (once again, they don't), or intellect (can you guess? they don't). We oppose fascists because of the consequences of their political movement.

Now, when calling out specific ideas, you may still feel inclined to use the aforementioned slurs. Don't do this! There are numerous alternatives. Not only are these words not ableist, but they are more specific, and make your critiques more concrete.

How do I make things more accessible?

Now I have to preface this with a bit of amelioration. We can't omit this aspect of ableism because it does make life harder for people with different abilities than typically expected. However, accessibility is different from the rest of the issues raised here because instead of preventing ourselves from doing something, we must proactively help out. How can we help out? Some ways are easier than others, but here are some examples:

Searching for videos with captions/subtitles beforehand, looking for them afterward, writing some yourself, or just mentioning that there are none available,
Making art for posters/infographics/videos sensitive to colour vision deficiencies,
Writing descriptions/transcripts of images, avoiding text-as-images, and
Providing 101/entry-level information whenever appropriate.

What will the moderators do?

We're not here to act as lawyers and nitpick on uses of ableism. Delving into the minutiae of which sanction is appropriate misses the point. There is a list of words/phrases provided which are okay, but it isn't authoritative; it's just an example. We'll call it as we see it, and use all tools necessary: warnings, removal of content and bans. Reporting comments and posts for ableism helps as well.

For any freeze peach brigadiers who are ready to call this the overtaking of genuine socialism by PC culture: This isn't civil society, but a subreddit of peers. Nobody, not even the mods, has an inviolable right to be here. We're not going to try to make people who don't take ableism seriously feel welcome.

Sources and further information

Archive of the article "Alternatives to using ableist slurs" by isthisableism

Accessible Reddit's accessibility guide

[Article "What is Ableism? Five Things About Ableism You Should Know"] ( http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/11/19/what-is-ableism-five-things-about-ableism-you-should-know/) by FWD/Forward

Video "Autism and the Class Struggle"

Another Alternative to replacement words