Module 3: Reframing Disability
More to Explore: Case Studies in Ableism
The resources below are provided as optional case studies for readers who wish to further explore how ableism operates in everyday life and healthcare contexts.
Feel free to also return to the examples of how medicalization shapes social policy, citizenship, and systems of care in Module 2. Consider how the examples from Module 2 also reflect ableist legacies in Canadian society.
Ableism: An Everyday Example
Reflection Moment
Let’s examine an everyday example of ableism. As Kumari-Campbell states, ableism is not only targeted at disabled people. Ableism can be directed at anyone: Vietnam: Outrage at student height requirement.
Read the article about the decision by the School of Management and Business at Vietnam National University to place height requirements for entry into some of its programs.
Why might business schools place a height requirement for admission? How does this relate to ableism?
How might Eurocentric ideals about the body inform this policy? What does this tell us about the relationship between ableism and colonialism?
Consider how the height requirement ties together assumptions around height, capacity, business and management acumen, and economic prosperity.
Ableism: Vulnerability and Control
From the Community
As you engage with the clip below, consider how Nafisah’s experiences of blindness reflect broader ableist assumptions about vulnerability and control.
Reflection Moment
Assess your relationship to ableism.
Can you think about how dis/ableism permeates your own profession and/or the educational pathway you’ve followed?
How do you think dis/ableism could impact Nafisah’s experience in healthcare. For more on this, follow Ben’s story in the Enabling Accessible Healthcare Documentary.
Medical Racism in Canadian Healthcare Contexts
Media Moment
Time: 2 minutes, 48 seconds
This short CityNews Montréal segment offers a Canadian example of how systemic racism operates within healthcare institutions, reinforcing many of the dynamics discussed in this module.
Systemic Racism in Quebec Health Care | CityNews Montréal
