Ableism

Ableism is a type of discrimination towards people with physical, developmental, psychiatric, or emotional disabilities. Disabled individuals are often treated as being inferior, devalued, and unequal in worth to the able-bodied. They are also often defined by their disability rather than as a person. Ableism can exist in many forms in society as non-disabled individuals are viewed as the norm and society is built around this perceived standard. This can lead to physical and attitudinal barriers that prevent disabled individuals from being treated equally. A simple example of this is when an essential business or office has no wheelchair access which makes it impossible or very difficult for a physically disabled person to access these services.