What's Ableism?

[thucythucy]

17. I'm sorry for being unclear.

There are some people who insist that most of what is labeled "mental illness" is indeed a social construct. Such people still favor ending discrimination and abuse of people labeled mentally ill, no matter what the cause of the alleged illness. In fact, some of the most vocal critics of the idea of "mental illness" are also the most politically active in fighting discrimination directed at people who have to live with the labels. And so fighting to end discrimination and abuse wouldn't be "ableism" at all.

"Ableism" would be, for example, denying someone a job for which they were qualified simply because that person had been diagnosed with a mental illness. Or assuming that all people labeled mentally ill are dangerous, deviant, violent, etc.

Personally, I think there are some forms of mental illness that exist apart from purely social factors. But it's an ongoing debate within the psychiatric survivor community whether this is true or not. Even so, I think anyone in the movement would say discrimination is bad, and that the stereotyping of people labeled as mentally ill is indeed a form of ableism.

I hope that clears it up some.