This Is What Ableism Looks Like

A real-life example of what ableism and micro-aggressions look like in action

Person signing “No” in ASL — (Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels)

Death by a thousand paper cuts

For the record: I am white, which gives me privilege I did not earn. I have not experienced systemic racism.

I am Deaf, neurodivergent, and female-presenting, so I have indeed experienced ableism, audism, and sexism. These usually come in the form of micro-aggressions: subtle ways in which neurotypical and non-disabled people uphold their privilege over marginalized groups.

Rather than one or two overt, obvious, significant incidents, those of us who are both marginalized and privileged often experience a multitude of micro-aggressions. These wear away at us until we lose our patience with society’s ableist bullshit, and then people wonder why we’re “freaking out” over a minor inconvenience.

Newsflash: It’s no longer minor when it happens every damn day.