The authors note that an increase in disabled students does often note an increase in access for disabled students in higher education but does not have any bearing on whether or not academia still perpetuates ableism.

University of Wisconsin - Madison

A 2015-2016 study from the National Center for Educational Statistics reported that 19% of undergraduate students reported having a disability in the United States. This report also noted this number has increased and is projected to continue increasing. 

Percentage of Disabled Students in Higher Education

The quality of being discriminatory or prejudiced against those with disabilities.
Ableist behaviors can include stereotyping and devaluing people with disabilities or in some cases violence towards those with disabilities. 

Ableism (Disablism)

- The valuing of certain traits and abilities over others
- Ableism occurs due to cultural and societal norms and can manifest as ableist language, inaccessible public transport, difficulty in accessing and utilizing services, and the idea that people with disabilities are “brave” simply for living in the world

Ableism

Abrams, E. J., Floyd, C. E., & Abes, E. S. (2024). Prioritizing Crip Futures: Applying Crip Theory to Create Accessible Academic Experiences in Higher Education. Disability Studies Quarterly, 43(4). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v43i4.8270

Prioritizing Crip Futures: Applying Crip Theory to Create Accessible Academic Experiences in Higher Education

Criminal (and often violent) attacks that target individuals with disabilities.

Disablist Hate Crimes

Ableism inhibits social integration and cultural peace by reinforcing problematic attitudes.

Sociocultural Implications of Ableism

Disability is a form of involuntary social deviance that causes an overall negative response (stigma). As such, it is often defined in the context of power, marginalization, and oppression. 

Disability Stigma

Types of Disablism

Individuals with disabilities face varying stigmas based on whether or not their disability is seen as visible or invisible. These stigmas are most prominant in social, vocational, and educational settings. 

The differences in stigmatizing effects of visible versus invisible disabilities 

Ableism makes people think that differences in how bodies and minds work are bad. This mindset turns the term "defective" into an insult and affects how society treats those seen as different. Laws, medical practices, and schools often reflect this bias, leading to the isolation of people labeled as defective. Ableism influences health care and legal systems, supporting ideas that erase individuals and communities, while strengthening the power of those in control by ignoring marginalized voices.


Ableism and Its Societal Ramifications


Internalized ableism is when disabled individuals internalize the idea that people's bodies and minds are assigned value based on being perceived as being non-disabled, or "normal." Often these valuations are based on individuals appearance, their ability to produce work at the volume and capacity that is expected by others, their ability to excel in societally valued settings and their ability to behave in ways that are societally accepted.  

Internalized Ableism

Academic ableism relies on the biomedical model of disability. This model focuses on diagnostic lables and the creation of an individualized approach to accomidations. The students hold responsibility to report and maintain accomodations throughout their academic career.

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