Capitalism is the direct cause of ableism. People with psychosocial disabilities are systematically discriminated against.
Disclaimer: This article is written using identity-first language and is written by a racialized, neurodivergent/disabled queer woman who is also the mother of a neurodivergent/disabled child. The views expressed herein may not reflect those of Fuckup Inc as an organization.
April is Autism Acceptance Month. We've touched on this topic before, but thought it deserved a deeper look. As we strive for greater equity in society, we can't shy away from difficult conversations.
As we continue to make progress in promoting psychological safety, diversity and inclusion, it is crucial that we also address the ways in which this system affects those of us who "don't look disabled."
Capitalism, as an economic system, revolves around the accumulation of resources for profit. Although it has contributed to the development of the Global North, it is no secret that this system also perpetuates a myriad of social injustices in all latitudes.
From subtle microaggressions to blatant disparities in access to resources, ableism has long been an insidious force in our society.
With this blog post, we invite you to explore the impact of capitalism and ableism on neurodivergent people.
ableism is a system of oppression that justifies and perpetuates the oppression of people whose bodies and minds are configured in a way that does not allow them to produce as much as the supposed majority. It can manifest itself in many ways, such as physical barriers, prejudice and exclusion from all aspects of society. ableism often intersects with other systems of oppression, such as racism, sexism and classism, making it a complex problem.
Neurodiversity is a term coined in 1996 by Judy Singer, an autistic sociologist. This paradigm challenges the traditional notion of "normality" versus "abnormality" as it relates to human cognition. The neurodiversity paradigm paradigm argues that neurological differences should be considered in the same way as any other type of diversity, and that each individual's unique cognitive profile contributes to the overall richness of human experience.
Neurodivergent people are those whose brains function differently than the supposed majority. We are talking about people diagnosed with ADHD, autism, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, Borderline Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, etc.
There are those who argue that a mental illness is not the same as a neurotype, but the point here is that all of these brains function differently, and all of these groups of people need supports and adaptations/adjustments to our environments.
By recognizing the value of these differences, society can move away from a deficit-based approach to one that celebrates the strengths and potential of all people, regardless of neurotype or mental illness.
Capitalism prioritizes cost reduction over accessibility and inclusion. For example, companies and school systems choose not to invest in any training on this topic or in providing accommodations to those who need them, as decision-makers perceive these expenditures as a drain on their profits or resources. Spoiler: this is not the case.
The beauty of reasonable accommodations is that they facilitate access for everyone, regardless of neurotype. One example: people who can walk can also use ramps. Ramps are an adaptation, an accommodation based on universal design, which means that everyone can use them.
The capitalist emphasis on competition and productivity creates a hostile environment for neurodivergent people, who may be considered "less capable" or "less valuable" to a company because we do not work in the same way as the majority.
We have different approaches to processes, and some of us need everything in writing. Some of us find it hard to speak in public or even turn on the camera during a meeting. Some of us can't work 8 hours straight and need to take several breaks. This results in discrimination and lack of accommodations not only during the hiring process, but in all daily operations.
It's not that we are inherently less capable, we just do things in different ways.
The profit motive may also contribute to the lack of representation of neurodivergent people in the media, as disabled actors and models are seen as less monetizable. This perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces ableism in society.
It is also important to note that it doesn't matter how many neurodivergent actors in neurodivergent roles there are in television and film if resources are not redistributed in the educational and social security systems. That's where real representation is needed.
The main representation we see are straight white male geniuses like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, Sam from Atypical or Shaun from The Good Doctor. Yes, there are also some women (Beth from The Queen's Gambit, Woo from Extraordinary Attorney Woo), but let's face it, they're geniuses too.
Some neurodivergent people do not consider themselves disabled, some will need a calculator all their lives, many have no interest in chess at all, and some can't even remember to drink water every day. There is diversity within diversity.
The lack of interest in this topic on the part of people without disabilities leads to misinformation and fear. It is an extremely difficult conversation, and it is easier to fall into simplistic ways of explaining things we don't really understand.
Stereotypes are harmful, even if they are well-intentioned. Like when people say, "All autistic people are mathematical geniuses who don't care about sex" or "People with ADHD are lousy romantic partners but great at producing music or other art forms" or "You must be high-functioning, stop stealing resources from people who really need them."
In this regard it is worth clarifying something: labels of functioning are harmful, as they strip neurodivergent people of their agency. If someone is considered "low-functioning," people and legal systems assume that he or she is not capable of making any decisions about his or her life. If someone is considered "high-functioning," educational and health systems deny them the right to receive care and accommodations.
Furthermore, these labels will never express the full extent of a neurodivergent person's support needs. Each neurotype (autistic, ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, etc.) moves on a spectrum and support needs are constantly changing, even over the course of a single day, for the same person.
This means using neurodivergent people to make non-disabled people feel better about themselves, even if it is not their intention. Inspirational p*rno reduces the life experience of disabled people to suffering.
Think of all the fundraising campaigns that include photos and videos of non-speaking children or adults without their fully informed consent: "John achieved such and such in spite of having autism" and"Lia was able to do this and that in spite of having ADHD".
-By the way, parents do not have the right to benefit from their children's image without their consent, even if it is for a "good cause". But that's another conversation about adultcentrism, and we'll get to it in a couple of months, so don't miss it.
Non-disabled people donate a few pesos and feel better about themselves, but they don't actually start socializing with neurodivergent or disabled people because that is not the goal of the inspirational p*rno.
Altruism means helping people in need in the way THEY ask us to. Charity is helping in the way WE think they need it.
Have you laughed at or scorned someone who says they can't stand certain sounds, textures, tastes, smells or lights? Have you invalidated someone's experience and told them"don't exaggerate, there are worse things in life"?
Maybe you've called someone a "bad person" because they have a hard time socializing or don't seem to understand the unwritten rules about human interactions that are "obvious" to you.
Your professors may have thought that a classmate of yours was being rude or antagonistic for asking too many questions on a topic that the rest of the class seemed to understand.
Yes, we've all screwed up in our ways at least once in our lives. Let's not wallow in guilt. Let's show compassion for people's experiences. You never know when someone neurodivergent might be around you, so become a safe person. The world needs more of that.
EN CONCLUSION
It's a hard pill to swallow, but our intentions, no matter how pure, will never be more important than the impact of our actions. Yes, most people are unaware of ableism, and it's not their fault. However, the systemic consequences of our collective actions - or lack thereof - are undeniable.
We do not have a single solution to capacitism, no one does. Collective liberation demands that we take responsibility. It demands that we reject individualism and punitive justice. It requires that we choose compassion - or empathy - and restorative justice.
As someone said on Twitter: I want to live in a world where people who find out about the harm they do to others care more about ending it than proving they are not causing it.
We need to cry together, think together, laugh together and co-create solutions together, even if we don't see the end result in our lifetime. My hope lies in the beauty of neurodiversity: we have an infinite number of minds to figure out how to improve this society.
Do you want your team to feel confident and secure in talking about these issues? As part of The Failure Program, we have a variety of online courses, workshops and private events, plus a survey that will diagnose how you are managing psychological safety and failure in your company. Leave us your details and let's start collaborating to make failure work for you.
Edited by
Shanti Banus
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Let's transform our perception of failure and use it as a catalyst for growth.
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