I find this view a bit naive. Disability is still deeply stigmatized. People actively fear becoming like us. I have a friend who often states that they would prefer to die young than ever become dependent in their old age. Even the authors of the last quote understand that the term can be problematic simply because it is not true. Not all currently able-bodied people will become disabled ether temporarily or permanently.
They say,. Disability is not inevitable. Only two things are always temporary: life, and youth. Ability is not always temporary. Two large groups of people are able-bodied until they die: first, those who age able-bodied not just year-old hikers but also people over 80 who walk to the grocery store every day and clean their own homes.
Second, and harder to see, are the people who die able-bodied at any age. And, of course, disability is not always permanent either: the world is full of people who are temporarily disabled. Despite their misgivings, they ultimately still believe that the term has value as a community builder and they intend to continue using it albeit with disclaimers.
I genuinely see the term TAB as more of a threat at least in how it is perceived, regardless of the intent of the user than anything useful. It is saying, you will be like us someday and how will you get around the world then? I most frequently hear TAB used as an inevitable description. As already pointed out this is simply not true. As Notkin and Edison point out, people have difficulty coming to terms with mortality. Disability though not always deadly is an extension of that fear.
People do not view acquired disability calmly or dispassionately. They quite often fear it. Sometimes Offensive. We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms. First, defining the population who is not living with a physical disability as able-bodied diminishes those who are enabled by accommodation or adaptive aids.
Combating ableism and embracing equal rights and opportunities means emphasizing the qualifications of the individual, whether or not that person uses assistive technology to access or participate in an activity. Further, the term able-bodied does not fully align with the requirements of the modern job market, which is no longer exclusively defined by physical labor.
Historically the descriptor able-bodied was used to distinguish nondisabled people from those living with a disability, and also from children, the elderly, and pregnant women. It is still used today in some government documentation to indicate eligibility for employment or military service. In its use as a legal designation in administering programs for the poor, able-bodied has become a politicized word.
When determining who is deserving of public aid, it is fair to expect those who are able to work to fully pursue opportunities that make them self-sufficient; financial assistance is allocated to those who are unable to support themselves.
What does it mean to be able-bodied? Be specific, what are they capable of doing? Can they see, can they walk up stairs? Are they able to read a book? Ask yourself these questions… what did you come up with? Individuals who are unable to assimilate within the goal of normality are categorized outside the realm of what it means to be normal and are ultimately depicted as inferior and therefore as not quite human. What is Able-bodied privilege? However, it is obvious that not everyone can see, walk, hear or talk, and as a result, those with specific weaknesses are set at a disadvantage.
Therefore, it is important for us to rethink society with disability as the normative and the non-disabled as the problematic, as we all have different strengths and weaknesses that make us to unique to everyone else.
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