What is Ableism?
[[File:Convicts Lunatics and Women! Have No Vote for Parliament, ca. 1907-1918.jpg|thumb|[[Convict|Convicts]], [[Lunatic|Lunatics]], and women have no vote in Parliament. This poster was made in 1908 and was used to support the rights of women. Even though this poster was made to campaign to [[Women's suffrage|let women vote in elections]], it also shows ableism towards mentally ill people.]] '''Ableism''' is the [[prejudice]] against [[Disability|disabled people]]. ==Overview== The first known use of the word was in 1981, which makes it relatively new. However, the concept of ableism existed before this. ''Disablism'' can be used to mean the same thing. Ableism can be intentional or unintentional. People can be ableist – [[Bias|biased]] against disabled people unintentionally because ableism is so common that people may not notice that it exists. A person who holds such a prejudice is called an ''ablecentrist''.<ref> Allies in Emancipation - Page 66, Martin Sullivan - 2005</ref> ==Views== [[File:Galton class eugenics.svg|thumb|Galton's view of [[social structure]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] based on ableist [[eugenics]].]] Some people deem ableism a form of [[oppression]]. Not everyone who talks about ableism agrees about what things are ableist. Disabled people can be ableist, to other disabled people or to themselves, which is called internalized ableism. Some people deny that ableism exists. ==Legality== In some countries, there are [[laws]] that are made to protect disabled people from ableist [[discrimination]] and [[Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]] also prohibits such discriminations. ==Forms== Ableism takes many forms around the world. Sometimes ableism is done in a way that is supposed to be hurtful. Other times people are ableist while they are trying to be nice. Both of these types of ableism are harmful. Society is not built for disabled people. For example, there are lots of shops that are not accessible for people who use [[wheelchair]]s because the person who ma