Embedded Files
Yan Ngo, Gabe Hoffman, and Abynurelle Melendres
This handout and worksheet collection is designed to help counselors recognize and address internalized ableisms in both themselves and their clients. These resources draw upon research that shows how deficit based perspectives on disability can harm the ability for counselors to maintain a therapeutic relationship with their clients, as “disability professionals may dismiss and/or downplay people with disabilities' experiences with ableism and may be more likely to individualise people with disabilities' experiences and attribute them to the person rather than oppression, discrimination, and unjust systems.” (Friedman, C., VanPuymbrouck, L., & Gordon, Z. (2024)) The handout and reflection worksheet guide counselors in self identifying and reflecting upon unexamined assumptions, reframing of disability, and how they can support clients in exploring how message with regard to disability may influence their own self perception. As disability can show from a myriad of ways, those with visible and invisible disabilities alike are faced with subtle ableism that can cause psychological pain. Furthermore a study shows that even disability professionals, those who commonly work with the disabled, and are poised as experts on the topic of disability, often believed they understood ableism, only to then more often and more likely become the very individuals enact and perpetuate ableism to their clients. (Friedman et al., 2024)
By incorporating these new ideas and tools into their practices, counselors can aid in fostering a more affirming, multiculturally responsive environment. The resource provides brief questions, prompts, and places to foster further education that could be used for personal reflection, and client sessions, to deepen awareness and reduce the risk of unintentionally reinforcing ableist narratives.
What is Ableism?
What is Ableism?
Ableism, from the Merriam Webster dictionary, defines ableism simply as: “discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities.” But it goes further than that. It becomes the assumption and continuation of specific standards, of how bodies, minds, and general well-being and functioning relate to being “normal”. And anything else that strays from this standard or norm, inherently less valuable or in need of fixing.
Ableism can show it in many ways, like how society as a whole speaks, treats, and designs spaces for everyone. It doesn’t always have to be overt.
What is Internalized Ableism?
Internalized ableism can occur when someone applies ableist ideas to themselves or others without even realizing it.
For clients it could sound like:
“I don’t want people to see me that way.”
“I’m just not trying hard enough.”
“I’m just the problem.”
For counselors:
A fixation in treatment.
Viewing disabled clients as fragile, dependent, or something to inspire to.
Uneasiness with discussing disability beyond a medical context.
The assumption that disability-related questions and concerns should always require clinical evaluation and intervention.
Models of Disability
A model of disability that has been around the longest, and one that many people around the world may still follow, is the moral model of disability. This oldest model, being around almost as long as the concept of disability itself has been around, sees disability either inherently as a gift or punishment from God, or another spiritual or religious reason. Because of this model, it is a reason that disabled people have learned to stay hidden, and to become feared throughout the centuries of history. As, perhaps others who are not disabled, may catch the bad luck, or that the person had done something wrong to warrant being or becoming disabled. On the opposite viewpoint, some using this model of disability may see certain or all disabilities as gifts. Causing disabled people to be seen as lessons or inspiration. Despite the positive connotation, this is considered negative because it causes the public to view disabled people solely by their disabilities than by their own personhood and identity.
The most common model used to view disabilities is the medical model. It focuses on identifying what is wrong with an individual, whether it be physical, or mental, as long as it impedes function significantly enough, and then labelling a person with diagnosis through doctors, and treating them in a clinical setting. This model is considered negative by advocates of disability rights, because of the history of institutionalization and eugenics, along with the heavy focus of that; “There is something wrong with the individual.” Although, it is very important to understand that despite this negativity, those who critique this model still find it very important to have doctors and science professionals aid people, save lives, and give as much quality of life and well being to everyone.
An upcoming and alternative model of disability to the medical model, is the social model of disability. Rather than having fundamentally wrong with the individual to have made them disabled, and require a cure or fix to aid them immediately, this model more so sees disabled people as being disabled by society itself than their own bodies. Whether it is the way society itself is designed; (IE lack of side walks & ramps to entrances, difficult to read design on a website, limited time to access social services and resources) or the way society portrays and talks about them culturally. And when society itself accommodates individuals, in doing so, it brings accommodations for everyone.
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