Ableism Doesn't Exist

Okay, I'm probably gonna get some flack for this one, but let me start by saying that I suffer from bi-polar disorder (OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED, not "self-diagnosed"), it has affected me my entire life and has made things very difficult, but I live with it.

Now, as someone who suffers from a serious mental disorder, ableism doesn't exist.

No, really, it doesn't.

Okay, from what I can tell there are two types of supposed ableism, at least that's how I'm going to divide this up, the first we're going to call "hard ableism".

Hard ableism is a flat-out, no-holds-barred, hatred of disabled people, purely for being disabled.

Now, I know what you're thinking, "There is nobody out there who just hates disabled people, that shit doesn't exist."

And, you're right! Nobody hates disabled people purely because they're disabled, the KKK isn't pushing children in wheelchairs off of cliffs (though bargain bin E.T. knock offs still are www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEC_lk… ).

And to the credit of people who believe in ableism, most of them don't believe that's a thing either (a step in the right direction).

Next comes what we're going to call "soft ableism." Now, if hard ableism is bacon, soft ableism is Sizzlean.

Soft ableism is anything that gives disabled people hurt feelings.

Yes, really.

Apparently if you use word like "sick" "insane" "lame" "bipolar" etc, in casual conversation, any nearby disabled people will shrivel up and die, because they can't take it.

Do I even need to tell you why this is crap?

I have bipolar disorder, if you call someone who's acting irractic "bipolar" or "insane" I won't curl up into a ball and cry myself into a coma. You know why?

Because I'm a mature adult living in the real world, not an autistic infant who needs to be coddled.

If you can't take someone saying the word "lame" around you, you either need to grow a thicker skin, or abstain from all social interaction.

The world isn't going to coddle you. Grow up and deal.

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