Image Descriptions
Post 2
WHAT IS INTERNALIZED ABLEISM?
Internalized ableism can look like many different things
- “sometimes it comes from wanting to seem ‘normal,’ so we reject whatever society deems as being associated with disability”
- “Internalized ableism occurs when a disabled person believes that they are less worthy due to their disability and act accordingly.”
- “From disproportionate feelings of being a burden to self-hatred to assuming personal incompetence in areas of your life not associated with the limits of your condition, many people with disabilities suffer from internalized ableism.”
[image description] woman crossed armed with hand to face looking questioningly, man with arms crossed looking puzzled
Post 3
What Does Internalized Ableism Look/Feel Like (1/3)?
- Feeling like you don’t “fit in” to the idea of what I disability is
- “As someone with a mild physical disability and mental illness, I don’t feel like I could have any sort of disability because I don’t fit the ‘part’ that society has taught us for what disability should look like.”
- Feeling like a burden
- “There are times where I believe I will not be an integral part of society, that I will forever be dependent on those around me and for that, I am a burden.”
- Feeling like you’re imagining an illness, even though you know you’re not
- “I have an extremely rare and unusual disease that is hard for people to wrap their minds around, for which I’m constantly being accused of lying or exaggerating about.”
Post 4
What Does Internalized Ableism Look/Feel Like (2/3)?
- Internalizing the inappropriate things people say
- Internalizing other people’s reactions
- “Sometimes I’m embarrassed to touch someone (shake hands, etc.) with my curled up fingers. Especially when I see them suppress or cringe.”
- Feeling like you don’t deserve accommodations
- “Not being visually the profile expected for [accessible] parking spaces. That they are only for the elderly/mobility aid users…ableist sideways glances never fail to disappoint.”
- “Not feeling I can ask for support because I’m not ‘sick enough’”
[image description] man standing with head down looking defeated.
Post 5
What Does Internalized Ableism Look/Feel Like (3/3)?
- Having low expectations of yourself
- “Disabled people frequently face the assumption that success/value and disability are mutually exclusive. We often deal with ‘low expectations’ or feel we have to lower our standards. I begin to feel like I am worthless or useless because it seems that is what people expect of me.”
- Feeling like you have to prove you’re disabled
- “I feel like I have to use my wheelchair all the time to prove that I am disabled. Just because I can walk a little doesn’t mean that I am healed.”
[image description] woman sitting cross-legged, head down with hand.
Post 6
How to Work Against Internalized Ableism?
- Do not let diagnosis define identity or actions
- Acknowledging physical, mental, and emotional limitations, and acknowledging how permanent or impermanent each of them are
- My actions are mine and I need to take full responsibility for how they affect others
- Empathy and compassion are important skills to nourish, and every interaction with others is an opportunity to nurture these skills
- I deserve respect and would not intentionally disrespect others
- My symptoms are outside of my control, and so I need to plan for them, and where appropriate take responsibility for their potential effects.
- Where a permanent disability is a part of your life, do not allow your progress in life to be defined by unattainable goals such as ‘overcoming’ or ‘defeating.’ While a disability doesn’t need to define you, it is important to understand that it is a part of your overall identity. “It isn’t an enemy outside of me at all – it’s a part of who I am. A part of me that I need to make peace with, a part o befriend and manage, rather than a foreign body that is trying to force me to fail.”
Post 7
How can you (as an individual) move beyond your own internalized ableism?
- By accepting that your condition(s) create(s) real limitation
- By recognizing that you still can do many things despite those limitations
- By allowing yourself healing time – to recognize and grieve the losses your condition is associated with
- By choosing to find the positives in your life and focusing on what you can do, rather than what you can’t
- By actively choosing to befriend your own condition and to evaluate your own capabilities, rather than let society tell you what you can and cannot do.
Post 8
- Here are some tips that Katie has shared on her blog “Weird Sensitive Creatures”
- Remember that your worth is inherent because you exist
- Relentlessly believe in your worth…especially when you don’t feel it
- Surround yourself with other in your disability community
- Learn to view every moment of perceived inadequacy as an opportunity to smash internalized ableism
- Stop holding yourself to unrealistic expectations
- Remember that it’s not lazy or selfish to need more rest and accommodations
- Consider sharing your story with others
Post 9
Here are some tips shared by Rea Strawhill on her blog
- Know that it’s an ongoing process
- Stop comparing yourself to others
- Learn to love yourself for who you are, not what you do
- Celebrate your small wins
- Surround yourself with people who uplift you
- Practice positive self-talk
- Therapy!
- “Self-love is not steady; it is a process. But it is a very meaningful one.”
[image description] man wearing suit and tie, smiling, looking happy giving the ‘okay’ gesture with hand and fingers.
Post 10
How to Be an Ally Against Internalized Ableism?
- Taking accountability for actions and words that affect those around you and working to reflect on and change those actions and words
- Getting to know the person behind the disability – hobbies, talents, skills, goals, dislikes, etc.
- Finding activities to engage in with disabled friends that allow everybody to be included equally
- Listening and believing individual challenges rather than assuming the person is being overly dramatic
- Compliments go a long way – but be genuine!
References
The Disability Community Needs to Talk About Our Internalized Ableism | The Mighty
Internalized Ableism: The Struggle to Accept Our Own Worthiness | Thriving While Disabled
12 Ways Disabled People Experience Internalized Ableism | The Mighty
What is internalized ableism and what can we do to overcome it? (reastrawhill.com)