Ableism is the mistreatment of and discrimination against people with physical, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities. It usually entails mindsets and practices that deem people with disabilities as deficient and less worthy (Smith). The assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other can be seen as a manifestation of ableism for it is established upon the belief that disability is a state of abnormality because it is intrinsically bad or wrong.
When it comes to disabled people, the term “fix” would typically mean to mend or repair. Using the word “fix” comes with a negative connotation, taking “disability and disabled people are a problem that needs to be fixed” as a given. The belief that disabled people need to be fixed also assumes a specific type of body, which in this context would be the “abled” bodies, as the standard for perfection (Lu, 2019). This mindset is internally ableist by drawing a connection between disability and inferiority. In reality, disability does not mean inferiority, and disabled people should not be singled out and viewed as “less capable” outsiders. Just as individuals without disabilities rely on things like elevators and cars for better accessibility, those with disabilities need their own version of these accommodations. This need for better accessibility in infrastructure is not unique to the disabled community, and therefore is not an indication of abnormality.
The act of treating the entire group of people with disability as monolithic also overlooks the diversity of experience and nuances among the different individuals within this group. It is arrogant of the abled people to assume that everyone with disabilities wants to be changed. One’s relationship with disabilities varies personally depending on the cause of the disability and the degree of the disability. To some people, their disabilities are a part of their complex identity and the act of taking the disability away would mean rejecting who they are as people (Lu, 2019). Therefore, the discussion of whether people with disability need medical cures should be based on the subjective experience of the individual instead of society’s general assumption that disability by nature should be something to get rid of.
Moreover, the definition of “normality” itself is not definitive. The modern standards of normality and health are biased standards set by the non-disabled community from the perspective of non-disabled people, when in fact, “disability” or “flaw” is normality for the disabled. It is also worth noting that physical differences should not be a factor of invalidation of their personality. Disabled people have struggled with a corporeal identity that is predominately defined by a medical model that reduces it to abnormality (Zitzelsberger, 2005). Under this medical gaze, people with disabilities are more likely to internalize ableism which leads to a low sense of self-worth. As a result, systemic ableism gives rise to internalized ableism among the disabled population, which then further perpetuates ableism at the societal level. The cycle never ends.
While society’s intrinsically ableist mindset should be altered, the idea behind “fixing” disabled people isn’t entirely false. It is obviously not right to stop all efforts to find new cures or medical treatments. “Fixing” in the context of allowing the disabled community to have better quality lives by eliminating the obstacles they’re facing is a very reasonable goal. Although it might be tricky to balance the person’s autonomy and the medical diagnosis in certain cases, it remains the right of people with disability to maximize their physical capabilities and minimize the consequences of disability through the help of medical help or advanced technology. When it is the will of the individual with disabilities to get medical treatment, access to medical support should be made available and doctors should approach the patient with respect for his or her dignity (SAMS, 2017).
Yet improving the physical capabilities of people with disabilities does not solve the dilemma at its root as a great proportion of inconvenience experienced by the disabled is caused by the lack of accommodations in society’s infrastructure (Olkin, 2022). The burden of being able to access resources and live a convenient life at the same level as non-disabled people should lie not on the disabled, but the society. Accommodations to meet their basic needs are still heavily lacking today. Many public buildings such as public schools still lack ramps or elevators; many public transportation systems such as the subway in China do not have accommodations for people with disabilities; many facilities designed and made for people with disabilities, such as tactile paving, are neither humane nor safe. Many cities are designed to serve only one particular group of people and thus exclude the needs of others. If we examine the issue a little bit closer, we will find out that the perspectives of people with disabilities are rarely taken into consideration in the planning research or designing process of the city (Tarashima, 2021). The lack of representation in the decision-making process led to the ultimate impairments to their lives. Therefore, the first step to constructing a more comprehensive society is to understand the real obstacles and needs of people with disabilities through their perspective and incorporate them into the design process. Only by doing so can we ensure that the resulting products, services, and environments are truly effective and inclusive.
To conclude, it is inappropriate to assume that people with disabilities automatically need to be "fixed” because it perpetuates ableism by deeming disabilities as defects or negative abnormalities. The autonomy of the person should be prioritized in the medical treatment process. The root of the problem lies in society’s lack of accommodation to facilitate the daily lives of people with disabilities. To construct a world that is truly inclusive and equitable, we must embrace the diverse human experience and make these voices heard and count in every corner of our lives.
Citations
Smith, L. (n.d.-b). Center for Disability Rights. #Ableism. https://cdrnys.org/blog/uncategorized/ableism/
Zitzelsberger *, H. (2005). (In)visibility: accounts of embodiment of women with physical disabilities and differences. Disability & Society, 20(4), 389–403. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590500086492
Lu, W. (2019, March 19). Disabled people don’t need to be “fixed.” openDemocracy. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/disabled-people-dont-need-to-be-fixed/
Medical treatment and care of people with disabilities. Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS). (2017). https://www.samw.ch/dam/jcr:3a448c23-e0df-48bf-8bca-9f50acc136ff/guidelines_sams_disability.pdf
Olkin, R. (2022, March 29). Conceptualizing disability: Three models of disability. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/disability-models
Terashima, M., & Clark, K. (2021). The Precarious Absence of Disability Perspectives in Planning Research. Urban Planning, 6(1), 120-132. doi:https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v6i1.3612