“I do not identify as a person with a disability. I’m a disabled person. And I’ll be a monkey’s disabled uncle if I’m going to apologize for that,” said Stella Young, comedian, journalist, and disability rights activist. For Young and many others, disability is an inherent part of their identities and shapes their life experiences in unique ways. Yet, society at large often overlooks and disrespects that by treating the able-bodied experiences as the norm. In a thoughtfully written paper titled “Disability, Embodiment and Ableism: Stories of Resistance, Disability & Society,” psychology professor Ema Loja and others point out that, “Ableism is a concept that is useful in explaining disabled people’s experience of oppression and constructions of disabled identity because it focuses on the contours of the non-disabled perspective” (Loja, et al, 2013). Indeed, in a society where ableism dominates, there is a tendency for people to assume that the disabled need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other because the disabled are seen as deviant from, even inferior to, the norm. But does disability necessarily need to be fixed?

Disability is a natural part of the human experience. It has existed since the dawn of time and among all kinds of species, such as monkeys. What determined people’s perception of and attitude towards disability is in fact the different historical and societal conditions (Adesina, et al, 2021). For example, in ancient Greece and Rome, where impairments were commonplace because of constant warfare, poor healthcare, and prevalent incest, society in general was more accepting of the disabled, and it was not so much disability as the weakness that people showed because of it that was the subject of disdain. Religious beliefs also played a significant role in shaping people’s attitudes toward disability. The birth of babies with congenital anomalies, for example, was seen as a warning sign from the gods that their parents or social groups had committed offenses, and the babies would usually be abandoned in isolated places, their fate left at the mercy of the gods. The Middle Ages, as well, saw an increase in exorcism and attempts to cure mental disability through magic, deeming it as a form of demonic possession. Those who failed to respond to such treatment was consequently seen as beyond redemption.

As the influence of religion receded and that of science and technology rose, people started exploring more “scientific” or medical ways to fix the disabled. One of the most extreme forms of “fixing” emerged in the 18th to 20th centuries: eugenics, the practice of selective breeding to improve the human species emerged from the belief of “the survival of the fittest” (Galton, 1904). To rid society of individuals deemed by them as genetically ‘unfit’ or inferior, zealots of eugenics used methods such as involuntary sterilization, segregation, and social exclusion, which led to serious issues of marginalization and discrimination. Most notably, in the name of “cleansing” and ensuring the prosperity of the superior Germanic people, the Nazi Germany carried out mass euthanasia and forced sterilization in its occupied territories, resulting in the near destruction of the Jewish people in World War II as well as many members of the disability community (“Eugenics and Scientific Racism”). In this case, history has taught us a cruel lesson about what might happen when we portray disability as something hideous, irksome, and ill, desperately needing to be fixed.

The assumption that disability needs to be fixed is a misconception and constitutes ableist prejudice. By assuming the disabled are desperate, unhappy, or dependent because of their impairments, this belief takes away the disabled people’s autonomy and independence and denies the possibility of their sense of contentment. In fact, the disabled can and certainly have demonstrated the ability to be at ease with their circumstances. That’s where the term “disability pride” comes in. Following the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the month July is celebrated as Disability Pride Month, during which disabled people celebrate disability as a unique part of their identities and promote the recognition of their positive attitude and prospect in life through discussions, events, and parades. It aims to underscore the often overlooked fact that the disabled can be comfortable and at peace with their disabilities, even though they did not choose it (DeVault, 2023). In an article on what the Disability Pride Month means to the disabled community, disabled freelance writer Andrew Purlang writes, “Am I proud to be disabled? Not particularly. Being disabled wasn’t something I chose, worked for, and accomplished. But also yes. I am proud that I now feel more comfortable with my disabilities, and at ease as a disabled person, than I did when I was a child, a youth, or a young adult.” If only we could detach ourselves from the misconception that disability needs to be fixed and understand that what the disabled really need is neither to be fixed nor to be treated with special care–since both make them feel small and different–we would be able to see them as our equals and construct a world where the able-bodied people would not interact with the disabled people in a condescending manner, whether consciously or unconsciously.

The sociology theory of embodiment points out, “our bodies matter for how we experience the world… People in different bodies will experience the world differently.” (Carey, 2023). In that sense, it is the way one experiences or interacts with the world that makes him or her abled or disabled. So, instead of fixing the disabled, it is more important for us to fix barriers they face in their everyday experiences. For example, people who walk normally may not even notice a step, but for those who are in a wheelchair, the stairs may make them feel excluded. If we could provide them with a barrier-free facilities along the stairs, it would make them feel much more included and cared about as a community member, like everyone else in society. For children born with visual impairment but are bookworms, children’s book publishers may make their dreams come true by recording full-length audiobook for each of the stories published to improve accessibility. It is through efforts like these, whether big or small, at the personal or societal level, that we can start to wipe out the discriminative beliefs toward the disabled chalked on the blackboard of human history and write a new story of human civilization that includes and empowers the disabled as well. 

Works Cited

Adesina, Miracle & Olufadewa, Isaac & Oladele, Ruth & Oduguwa, Ifeoluwa & Abudu, Funmilayo. (2021). HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND CLASSIFICATION OF DISABILITY. 3. 17-24. 

Berkson G. (1973). Social responses to abnormal infant monkeys. American journal of physical anthropology, 38(2), 583–586. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330380271

Carey, A. C. (2023). Introducing the Sociology of Disabilities and Theoretical Perspectives. In Disability and the sociological imagination (pp. 2–23). essay, SAGE. Retrieved March 30, 2024, from https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/122393_book_item_122393.pdf. 

DeVault, N. (2023, July 10). What is disability pride?. AmeriDisability. https://www.ameridisability.com/how-to-display-disability-pride/ 

Eugenics and Scientific Racism. National Human Genome Research Insitute. (2022, May 18). https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Eugenics-and-Scientific-Racism 

Galton, F.S. (1904). Eugenics: Its Definition, Scope, and Aims. American Journal of Sociology, 10, 1 - 25.

Loja, E., Costa, M. E., Hughes, B., & Menezes, I. (2013). Disability, embodiment and ableism: Stories of resistance. Disability & Society, 28(2), 190–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2012.705057

Pulrang, A. (2022, July 28). What does “disability pride” mean to people with disabilities? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2022/07/28/what-does-disability-pride-mean-to-people-with-disabilities/?sh=6adadc3b47fa 

Quotes about disability that make you think. Aruma. (2020, July 29). https://www.aruma.com.au/about-us/blog/quotes-about-disability-that-make-you-think/