Ableism: A System with No Singular Root, But Plenty of Rotten Branches
4 min read
Ableism is not a single-rooted issue but a sprawling system shaped by historical, cultural, and economic forces. From early survival-based societies that devalued those unable to contribute physically, to religious stigmas framing disability as divine punishment, exclusionary attitudes have long been ingrained. The rise of the medical model shifted the focus from societal accessibility to “fixing” individuals, while capitalism reinforced the idea that productivity determines worth. Colonialism imposed Eurocentric definitions of ability, further marginalising indigenous knowledge, and eugenics movements in the 19th and 20th centuries sought to eliminate disabilities through forced sterilisation and institutionalisation. Education systems continue to sideline disabled and neurodivergent individuals by prioritising conformity, while media depictions reduce them to villains, burdens, or sources of inspiration. At its core, ableism thrives on the arbitrary classification of certain bodies and minds as “defective,” a hierarchy upheld by institutional power structures. Challenging these norms is essential to fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.
If ableism were a tree, it wouldn’t be one of those singular, towering oaks with a clear, central trunk. No, it would be a sprawling, tangled mass of roots, vines, and branches – half of them propped up by ecosystems that benefit from their existence. Unlike a neat origin story with a villain twirling a moustache and declaring, ‘Let’s make life harder for disabled people!’, ableism has been both cultivated by centuries of shifting priorities, fears, and economic imperatives, and fertilised by the worst aspects of history, culture, and capitalism.
But if we had to trace its roots, here’s where we’d start:
1. The "If You Can’t Hunt, You’re Out" Model
In early human societies, worth was often measured by one’s ability to contribute to the survival of the group. Could you hunt? Gather? Build? Excellent! If not, well... Attitudes toward disabled individuals ranged from cared for within the community to unceremoniously left behind. Early “survival”-based thinking laid the foundation for a long history of devaluing those who didn’t fit rigid evolutionary standards. And before you say, ‘that was the Stone Age’, let’s remember that the modern world still operates on this very principle – but we’ll come to that later.
2. The "God Said No" Justification
Religion has often played a significant role in shaping attitudes toward disability, and not in a Jesus-healed-the-sick-so-let’s-all-be-inclusive kind of way. Many ancient societies saw disability as divine punishment, a curse, or a mark of moral failing. You weren’t just disabled; you were spiritually tainted. Some cultures treated disabled individuals as unclean, unworthy, or in need of atonement. Others saw them as test subjects for miracles – after all, what’s a faith system without a little spectacle?
3. The "We Can Fix You" Era
Once medicine entered the group chat, disability became a problem to be solved rather than a natural variation of human existence. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the medical model of disability was in full force, insisting that disabled people were broken and in need of a cure. The focus shifted from ‘how can society be more accessible?’ to ‘how can we make you less disabled?’ – a mindset that persists in today’s obsession with "overcoming" disability rather than accommodating it.
4. Capitalism: The Efficiency Monster
Capitalism then took ableism and put it on steroids. Industrialization meant that workers were expected to function like cogs in a machine – efficient, uniform, and disposable if they couldn’t keep up. If you weren’t "productive," you were deemed worthless. This ideology led to the mass institutionalisation of disabled people, forced sterilisations, and exclusion from education and employment. Modern capitalism still clings to this notion but masks it with “inclusivity initiatives” that do little to dismantle the ableist structures at play.
5. Colonialism: Spreading the Ableist Gospel
Amidst all the land theft and resource extraction, colonialism also imposed Eurocentric standards of ability and intelligence on indigenous populations. Colonial powers dismissed non-Western understandings of health and disability, often labelling indigenous healing practices as "primitive" while simultaneously institutionalising eugenics…
6. Eugenics: The Horror Movie That Actually Happened
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, eugenics movements sought to "improve" the human race by eliminating "undesirable" traits – including disabilities. This led to forced sterilisations, institutionalisation, and, in some extreme cases, outright extermination. The USA, UK, and Nazi Germany all engaged in eugenic policies that dehumanised disabled individuals in the name of “progress”. And while eugenics as a movement fell out of favour, the mindset that disability is something to be eradicated still lingers in medical and scientific discourse.
7. The "Standardised Intelligence" Trap
Modern education systems, shaped by colonial and capitalist priorities, created narrow definitions of intelligence – ones that inherently exclude neurodivergent and disabled students. Standardised tests, rigid academic structures, and inflexible learning environments reward conformity over diverse ways of thinking and doing, reinforcing ableist biases. This is why, even today, many disabled individuals struggle in education systems built on a one-size-fits-all approach to knowledge.
8. Media: Where Disabled People Are Either Villains or… “Inspirations”
From ancient myths to modern cinema, disabled people have often been portrayed as one of four things: 1. Villains – hello, every scarred, disabled, or visibly "damaged" movie antagonist ever; 2. Burdens – tragic background characters whose disability exists only to fuel someone else’s character arc; 3. “inspirations” – "wow, you got out of bed today? So brave!" – if not “super-humans” – think Paralympian; or 4. just plain invisible. These portrayals don’t just reflect ableist stereotypes – they reinforce them, shaping public perceptions and making disabled lives harder.
So, What’s the "Root" of Ableism?
If we had to boil it down, ableism thrives on the belief that certain bodies and minds are "normal" while others are "defective." This arbitrary hierarchy is reinforced by history, religion, medicine, capitalism, colonialism, and modern institutions. These power structures have always found ways to maintain their dominance – tying worth and intelligence to exclusionary definitions of ability is just one of them. But if ableism is a seed that grew, then the least we can do is sharpen our shears, prune it back, and ensure that something better has the space to grow.
