25/07/2025
Let’s talk about Ableism today.
[English version at the bottom, start with Mandarin due to mentioning Taiwanese Drama]
我一開始加入自閉症群體的時候，我的朋友們常常講一個字 – Ableism，我不是很明白所以我沒有做回應。
後來我問老公這個是什麽意思，老公的瞭解是 “我能，你能嗎？” 我就理解為 “只要你肯努力你就一定能！”
再後來，我看到《我們與惡的距離2》裏的片段，我就馬上CLICK到Ableism了！
裏面的橋段是這樣的：
醫生：“所謂注意力不足過動症，指的是大腦分泌的多巴胺，跟正腎上腺素量跟一般人比起來的話，他偏低。所以他的大腦並沒有辦法有效地處理所有訊息，所以導致他會有一些注意力不集中的現象，會產生衝動，過動這些症狀。重點是，依照冠駿這個小孩子的能力，他是沒有辦法去剋服的。”
爸爸：“你的意思是，他再怎麽努力學業也不會進步？”
醫生：“藥物對他是有一些幫助。社會也在變，你所謂的學業進步可能現在不是唯一的選擇。”
爸爸：“一個醫生，跟我講學業不重要？外面的世界多麽現實難道你不知道嗎？學業進步不了，學什麽都一樣，走到哪都低人一等！”
【省略一些沒有關係的内容】
醫生：“你有沒有想過，會不會是他從小遭遇到什麽樣的挫折而影響到他的自尊心，所以他寧願選擇用攻擊或逃避才能夠生存。換句話説，才能夠被你們看見！”
爸爸：“他不是遇到挫折，他是根本不夠努力！”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz0td_K181k
可以看到爸爸的態度就是認爲成績好的人才是高人一等的，然後只要努力就能夠成績好了！他直接忽略了已經經過審核診斷出來的ADHD，直接斷定孩子就是不夠努力！
這個是Ableism的一種，但是Ableism還牽涉更多。，下面科普一下：
Ableism（能力主义、健全主义）指的是一种对残障人士的系统性歧视与偏见，其核心是在价值观、社会制度与文化表达中默认健康、无残障的身体和心理状态为“正常”、“优越”或“理想”状态，并据此贬低、边缘、排除或忽视那些具有身体、心理或认知差异的人。
能力主义是一种看不见但深入社会结构的偏见，它认定“没有残障”的状态才是正常、应该追求的状态，并以此为标准来建构社会制度、评估个体价值。例如：
结构性方面：城市设计不考虑无障碍通行；学校课程忽略神经多样性需求；就业市场排除或歧视残障者。
语言与文化方面：使用“弱智”、“瘫痪”、“聋子”等贬义词；将残障者描述为“勇敢的战士”或“悲惨的受害者”，非黑即白地扁平化其形象。'
心理态度方面：假设残障者“想变得正常”、或把他们视为“生活激励”。
語句上的例子：
1. 把残障当作侮辱词:
🦊🐻❄️ “你脑子有病啊？” - 把精神障碍当作负面评价的依据，是对心理疾病的污名化。
🦊 “别装自闭好吗？” - 误用“自闭”来表达“冷漠、不理人”，模糊了自闭症的真实状态，也是在否认他人的情绪困难。
“你是白痴吗？”、“你是个弱智” - 使用智力障碍者的旧称作侮辱语，是经典的 ableist 语言暴力。
2. 将“正常”视为理所当然的标准（Neurotypical Normativity）
🦊 “只要你想，就算是自闭症也可以学习如何社交” - 这句话隐含一种“只要你努力就可以像我们一样”，而非“社会可以多包容你一点”的价值观。
“只要願意，ADHD也能早醒” - 它忽視了 ADHD 背後的神經結構差異，且用「想不想」這種二元邏輯抹除多樣性。
🦊 “你看起来一点也不像有病的人欸！” - 这是所谓的“隐性残障不可见问题”——以“看不出来”为赞美，其实是在默认“残障就该看起来很惨”。
“你怎么不试着正常一点？” - 隐含“残障＝不正常”，并要求他人服从主流标准。
🦊 “你只是想引人注意吧” - 否定残障者的真实需求，尤其是对 ADHD、自闭症、Tourette 等表现型不同的群体。
🦊 “你不要想這麼多就沒事了” - 否認了焦慮、強迫、自閉症、創傷反應等神經或心理狀況的實質存在與複雜性，把症狀簡化為「想法錯誤」、「自找的」。
3. 好心但异化的语言（Inspiration Pxrn）
“你居然还能工作，太让我佩服了！” - 把残障者日常行为当成“奇迹”，其实是在把他们边缘化、物化成“激励他人的存在”。
“你一定要活得比别人更好，才不枉费自己受过的苦。” - 这是对“值得存在”的设限：要特别成功才能被社会接受。
“看到你我觉得我不能再抱怨了。” - 把残障者变成“他人苦难的背景板”，并非真正的理解与平等看待。
4. 否定合理需求的表达（Demand Denial）
🦊 “只要你想，就算是自闭症也可以学习如何社交” - 它把社交困难归因于“不想”或“不努力”，否定了自闭症者对社交的不同认知与感官处理方式，属于对合理需求和差异化支持的否定。
🐻❄️ “你就为了这个要特别待遇？” - 对“合理调整”（reasonable accommodation）视为“特权”，否定平权基础。
🦊🐻❄️ “我们不能为了你一个人改整个流程吧。” - 把无障碍设计视为负担，忽视它是对平等参与的基本保障。
🐻❄️ “你不能总是拿你的病当借口。” - 忽略神经多样性或慢性病状态下的真实限制，反映对隐性残障缺乏理解。
🐻❄️ “這樣給你調整對其他人不公平” - 此句會對有ADHD、自閉症、慢性疾病等人造成「你要求太多」「你破壞公平」的羞恥感，是一種常見的職場與校園語言暴力。
5. 否认或质疑对方的残障身份
🦊🐻❄️ “你看起来很健康啊，怎么会有问题？” - 对“隐性残障”不予承认，形成二度伤害。
“你不是已经吃药了吗？应该没事了吧？” - 将医疗介入当作“治好”，否认慢性状况的波动性和持久性。
注：
🦊小狐狸 代表別人對我說過的Ableism話語。
🐻❄️北極熊 代表別人對我老公說過的Ableism話語。
親愛的神經多樣性朋友：
我們總會遇到那種人——堅持自己的“正常”，拒絕理解你的差異，甚至用帶刺的話語否定你。
但拜託你記得：
這不是你的錯
你沒有缺少什麼
你也不需要「變得更像他們」才值得被尊重。
問題從來不在你身上，而在這個還不懂如何共存的社會。
你本來就值得被看見
被理解
被善待 🌈
When I first joined the autism community, my friends often talked about one word — ableism. I didn’t quite understand what it meant at the time, so I didn’t respond.
Later, I asked my husband what it meant. His understanding was:
"I can do it — can you?"
So I interpreted it as something like:
"If you just work hard enough, you’ll be able to do it too!"
It wasn’t until I watched a scene in The World Between Us 2 that it finally clicked for me — That’s ableism!
The Scene:
Doctor: “ADHD refers to a neurological condition where dopamine and norepinephrine levels are lower than average. So the brain can’t process all incoming information efficiently, which causes symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The key point is — based on Guan-Jun’s current cognitive ability — he cannot overcome this on his own.”
Father: “So you’re saying that no matter how hard he works, his academics won’t improve?”
Doctor: “Medication may help. But society is changing — academic success may no longer be the only path forward.”
Father: “You, a doctor, are telling me academics don’t matter? Do you have any idea how harsh the real world is? If he can’t succeed in school, it’s all the same — he’ll always be inferior!”
[Some content omitted]
Doctor: “Have you ever thought maybe he experienced early failures that impacted his self-esteem? Maybe that’s why he uses aggression or avoidance to survive — or to be seen by you.”
Father: “He didn’t ‘experience failure’ — he’s just not trying hard enough!”
What we see here is the father equating good grades with superiority, and insisting that hard work will always lead to academic success. He outright ignores the fact that the child has already been formally diagnosed with ADHD — instead, he simply concludes that his son is just lazy.
This is one kind of ableism — but there’s a lot more to it.
So What Is Ableism?
Ableism is a systemic form of discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities. At its core, it assumes that being non-disabled — physically, mentally, or cognitively — is the “normal,” superior, or ideal state of being. This leads to devaluing, excluding, or ignoring those who deviate from that standard.
It’s a deeply ingrained bias within society — often invisible — that insists “not being disabled” is the norm and standard. This assumption influences how systems are designed, how people are judged, and who is granted access, rights, and dignity.
Examples:
• Structural: Urban design ignores accessibility; school curriculums don’t accommodate neurodiverse students; the job market excludes disabled individuals.
• Language & Culture: Using words like “re**rd,” “cripple,” or “deaf” as insults; portraying disabled people only as tragic victims or brave inspirations — flattening their humanity.
• Attitudes: Assuming disabled people want to be “normal,” or viewing them only as motivational figures for others.
Ableist Language Examples
1. Using Disability as Insults:
🦊 "Are you mentally ill or something?" – Treats mental illness as something shameful.
🦊 "Stop pretending to be autistic, okay?" – Misuses “autistic” to mean antisocial or cold, denying the reality of autism.
"Are you stupid?", "What a re**rd." – Classic ableist slurs rooted in intellectual disability.
2. Assuming “Normal” Is the Standard (Neurotypical Normativity):
🦊 "If you really tried, even someone with autism could learn social skills."
→ Suggests “being like us” is the goal, instead of asking society to accommodate differences.
"If you really wanted to, even ADHD people could wake up early."
→ Ignores the neurological realities of ADHD and turns it into a matter of willpower.
🦊 "You don’t even look sick!"
→ Treats invisibility of disability as a compliment — assumes disabled people should “look miserable.”
"Why don’t you try acting more normal?"
→ Implies disability equals abnormality, and that conforming is expected.
🦊 "You’re just doing this for attention."
→ Denies the real needs of people with ADHD, autism, Tourette’s, etc.
🦊 "Just stop overthinking and you’ll be fine."
→ Oversimplifies conditions like anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and autism — blames the person for their distress.
3. Seemingly Kind but Othering (Inspiration P**n):
"Wow, you can still work? That’s so inspiring!"
→ Treats disabled people’s daily life as miraculous — objectifies them as motivational props.
"You need to live even better than others — make all your struggles worthwhile."
→ Suggests disabled people need to “overachieve” just to earn respect.
"Seeing you makes me feel like I shouldn’t complain anymore."
→ Turns someone’s suffering into a backdrop for your own gratitude — not empathy.
4. Denying Reasonable Support (Demand Denial):
🦊 "If you tried harder, even someone autistic could learn to socialize."
→ Blames the individual for lacking effort instead of acknowledging their different needs.
🐻❄️ "You’re asking for special treatment just because of that?"
→ Frames “reasonable accommodation” as an unfair privilege.
🦊🐻❄️ "We can’t change the whole process just for one person."
→ Treats accessibility as a burden, not a basic right.
🐻❄️ "You can’t keep using your condition as an excuse."
→ Denies the reality of chronic illness or neurodivergence.
🐻❄️ "If we adjust things for you, it’s unfair to everyone else."
→ A classic ableist argument — framing equity as injustice.
5. Denying or Questioning Disability Identity:
🦊🐻❄️ "But you look healthy — what’s the problem?"
→ Invisible disabilities are often dismissed or doubted.
"Aren’t you on medication? Shouldn’t you be fine now?"
→ Assumes medication “fixes” everything and erases chronic realities.
Legend:
🦊 Fox — things people have said to me
🐻❄️ Polar bear — things people have said to my husband
💌 A Message to My Neurodivergent Friends
You’ll probably meet people who cling tightly to their version of “normal” —
who refuse to understand your differences,
and who use cutting words to deny your needs.
But please remember this:
🚫 It’s not your fault.
🧩 You’re not missing anything.
🌈 You do not have to become more like them to deserve respect.
The problem has never been you.
The problem is a society that still doesn’t know how to coexist with difference.
You deserve to be seen.
To be understood.
And to be treated with care.
🌱
