Hostile, Benevolent, and Ambivalent Ableism: Contemporary Manifestations

Abstract

Disabled people experience ableism in many forms from the seemingly benevolent to the blatantly hostile, and more ambivalent or mixed forms (e.g., paternalistic/condescending and jealous/envy). Rooted in historic and contemporary frameworks, this study explores the experiences of an international sample of disabled people (N = 185) using six open-ended questions to assess some of the manifestations of ableism documented in the literature. We found that experiences with paternalistic forms of ableism were among the most pervasive followed by inspirational, hostile, envious, and dehumanizing forms while fears of becoming disabled or "catching" disability were less commonly reported. Furthermore, some forms of ableism (e.g., infantilization, unwanted help, and invasions of privacy) were more common among those with visible impairments whereas invalidation and accusations of fraud were more common among those with less apparent conditions. Implications for policies related to hate crimes, health care, and media representations are discussed along with directions for future research.If I tell someone I don't like their pitying behavior or point out that their kind intent had a harmful impact, they become hostile, usually accusing me of being ungrateful or disabled people like me as "too sensitive" (Person with multiple disabilities, 2015). People go from pity party, you're so inspirational to you're an ungrateful bitch really fast when I turn down help. (Person with multiple disabilities, 2015).In many ways, the manifestations of ableism are comparable to other minority group prejudices expressed as fear, denigration, and dehumanizing actions on the

Identity Management Strategies for Workers with Concealable Disabilities: Antecedents and Consequences

“…The negative impact of such reactions is a prominent theme that emerges in other articles in this journal issue (Nario‐Redmond, Kemerling, & Silverman, ; Wang, Walker, Pietri, & Ashburn‐Nardo, ). Different from variables implicated in the general literature on stigmatized social identities, issues related to invalidation and skepticism were among the most frequently reported stigma concerns among participants (also see Nario‐Redmond et al., ). Current measures of experienced or anticipated stigma do not include such experiences and, instead, focus on discrimination based on a known social identity.…”

Consequences of Confronting Patronizing Help for People with Disabilities: Do Target Gender and Disability Type Matter?

“…As such, a nuanced understanding of the consequences associated with confronting patronizing treatment should also consider the heterogeneity of the disability experience. Toward this end, we examined whether the findings from Study 1 might generalize to people who use wheelchairs, who constitute an important segment of the physical disability community and are frequent targets of patronizing help (Braithwaite & Eckstein, ; Nario‐Redmond et al., ; Olkin et al., ).…”

“…On the structural level, it may manifest as access barriers to physical spaces or information, such as lack of ramps, elevators, and Braille signage in public facilities as well as policies that restrict access to housing, healthcare, and education benefits (National Council on Disability, ; Nielsen, ). On the interpersonal level, it may manifest as hostility and violence, patronizing behaviors such as unwanted help, and awkward interactions fraught with anxiety and discomfort (Hebl & Kleck, ; Nario‐Redmond, Kemerling, & Silverman, ; Olkin, Hayward, Abbene, & VanHeel, ). Taken together, these forms of ableism place people with disabilities at a significant disadvantage across a wide range of life domains, including employment, higher education, and healthcare, thus hindering their full participation in society (Bogart & Dunn, ).…”

“…The present research focused on unsolicited, inappropriate offers of help, an interpersonal manifestation of ableism, and the consequences facing people with disabilities when they actively resist this form of ableism. According to a number of qualitative studies (Braithwaite & Eckstein, ; Nario‐Redmond et al., ; Olkin et al., ), encounters with unsolicited help represent one of the most common forms of ableism experienced by individuals with visible physical or sensory disabilities. Though often well‐intentioned, such imposed assistance can incur significant psychological costs because it implies that the recipients lack the ability to take responsibility for their own welfare.…”

“…This discrepancy in perspectives presents a dilemma for people with disabilities: Although accepting unwanted help may undermine their self‐esteem and sense of autonomy, refusing such help might have significant interpersonal repercussions, as highlighted by recent studies in the ableism literature. Specifically, individual interviews and focus groups with disabled individuals revealed that they are often accused of being ungrateful, rude, and hyper‐sensitive when declining patronizing help and that attitudes toward people with disabilities tend to become more negative when they violate the stereotype of incompetence and dependency (Braithwaite & Eckstein, ; Nario‐Redmond et al., ; Olkin et al., ). Additionally, Wang et al.…”