The Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted a talk on Ableism this past Wednesday, as part of its series “Combating Hate.” They invited Carnegie Mellon alumnus, Dr. Amanda Kraus to discuss ways in which ableism presents itself in everyday life and within our society’s systems.
Kraus is an Associate Professor of Practice and Educational Policy Studies and Practice at the University of Arizona (UA). She is also currently serving as Assistant Vice President for Campus and Executive Director of UA’s Disability Resource Center. She attended Carnegie Mellon as an undergraduate in the late 1990s and is, herself, a wheelchair user.
Kraus started her talk by defining Ableism and Disablism. She stated that ableism is the discrimination in favor of non-disabled people and disablism is the discrimination of disabled people on the basis of negative beliefs about disabled people.
Using these definitions, Kraus outlined different effects of ableism that exist in contemporary society. She compared and contrasted individual and systemic examples of ableism, making sure to clearly outline just how pervasive barriers to accessibility are.
After discussing these broad concepts, Kraus zoned in on common language and forms of representation that perpetuate ableism. Words like “psycho” or “lame” and metaphors such as “fell on deaf ears” and “turned a blind eye” are examples she used to highlight how, although we may not mean to be ableist when we use them, this language has deep-seated roots in ableism.
Euphemistic language like “differently abled” and “special needs” is harmful as it minimizes the struggles of disabled people. In her opinion, avoiding the issue with this language creates more problems for disabled people, rather than empowering them.
“Ableism is the water we’re swimming in,” Kraus said. In other words, subtle forms of ableism exist all around us and it’s not until we learn to recognize them and address them, that we can begin to move forward and create a more inclusive world for everyone.
In a short, moderated Q&A, Kraus addressed ableism within the Carnegie Mellon community. She expressed gratitude for the Disability Resources department. She said that although it was hard for her as a student in the late 1990s, she has hope for the future of inclusivity at Carnegie Mellon.
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