ABLEISM BEFORE IT BECAME A THING

Merriam-Webster defines ableism as discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities. 

I grew up before people with disabilities had rights. I grew up feeling inferior in this non-disabled world.  (I'm not gonna lie. I still do.) .

Read on to find out what life was like for me before ableism became a thing.

There was a small chocolate shop near the house where I grew up. There was one step to get in the store's front door. There was no way I could navigate the step in my powerchair even with assistance from my PCA. A store employee unapologetically informed us that that door was the only entrance into the shop. He did not seem to care that he'd lost a sale. I think he was glad to see us leave. (This incident occurred after 2010. This establishment had obviously never heard of the ADA.)

A disabled friend with CP  had been mainstreamed before mainstreaming children with disabilities became the norm.  I knew she was embarrassed by me. When a non-disabled friend of hers suggested that we all go out together our friend with CP adamantly refused to include me.When she was planning her wedding she told me, "You wouldn't want to be in the wedding anyway. It's a lot of work."  Again she chose her non-disabled peers over her disabled peer with CP. People with disabilities can be ableists too. (I know you are thinking that I should get over it. We were young. I agree. However, sometimes the hurt runs too deep. No matter how much I might want to let it go. I can't.)

Before I entered grad school one of the deans told my mom that the school did not want me but that my grades qualified me for admission.  The school had to accept me. When it was time for me to graduate that same dean told me that I would be last in line walking into the auditorium. I could not be in the line alphabetically with the rest of my class. This situation was soon rectified by a professor friend of mine. On graduation day I took my rightful place in line with the rest of the students whose last names began with G.

One of my internships was at a children's hospital. My boss's goal was to get the children's hospital, where I had been a patient to hire me. That hospital did not have a permanent social worker on staff at the time. When my boss learned that the hospital would not hire me, due to my lack of work experience she needed my internship after one semester. It was supposed to have lasted two semesters. For the remainder of my time interning at the hospital, I was given very little to do even when I asked for more duties. She gave important jobs to other students. I was left with setting up clinic appointments.

There was one job I really wanted. With the assistance of a job placement specialist, I went for it. I wanted to be a greeting card rep for a well-known greeting card computer from home. After learning that the rep for my area was retiring and that almost everything could be done on a computer, I called the current rep. She didn't let me say very much. She told me there was no way I could do the job. The woman was in her nineties. We'd never met. No matter how much I assured her that I could handle what the job entailed. I could not change her mind.

Do I think ableism will ever be eradicated? No, That's just the way it is. The ADA helps fight ignorance and discrimination against people with disabilities. They don't have to fight alone anymore. They can speak up. They can tell their stories. They can make people aware.