Times Change, but Things Remain the Same

I, Carol Thomas, have disappeared off the scene because I am now living in a nursing home needing care assistance and nursing care because of my impairment effects. I nevertheless feel the need to say something to complete my argument about impairment effects and disablism, because I have not changed my mind, despite being very ill now and unable to control any movement in my body apart from my arms though not my fingers.

I think it would be helpful at this point to have summaries for the two concepts I am referring to:

Disabalism: refers to the social imposition of avoidable restrictions on the life activities, aspirations and psycho-emotional well-being of people categorised as ‘impaired’ by those deemed ‘normal’. Disablism is social-relational in character and constitutes a form of social oppression in contemporary society – alongside sexism, racism, ageism and homophobia. As well as enacted in person-to-person interactions, disablism may manifest itself in institutionalised and other socio-structural forms (Thomas 2010:37).

Impairment effects: the direct and unavoidable impacts that ‘impairments’ (physical, sensory, intellectual, emotional) have on individuals’ embodied functioning in the social world. Impairments and impairment effects are always bio-social and culturally constructed in character and may occur at any stage in the life course (Thomas 2012:211).

I haven’t changed my mind at all about the meaning and importance of these two key definitional approaches. I still think it is as true as ever that impairment effects are bio social in character i.e., they have real material bodily effects and are simultaneously culturally constructed especially by the medical profession and bio/scientists in the West in current times. Also the possibility exists that other people, nurses, carers, visitors, family etc. could behave or say things in such a way that they constitute disablist behaviours. I feel and think that the two concepts are just as strong and express my current situation as they ever did. So, for example, it’s possible for other people might do things to my body or say things that would think constitute disablism. Fortunately they rarely do. Whereas the biosocial reality of my impairment effects is really bearing down hard on my daily existence. Therefore the use of these concepts is just as important to me now as ever and I would like to encourage others to use them in their own activism and research. Of course theoretical debates will have moved on but the essential quality of those definitions can be used in all parts of the world to take the struggles of disabled people forwards.

I am unable to write anything lengthy on these questions but it is evident that disablism is more widespread than ever in the lives of disabled people in these times of political cuts to public service spending. The rise of the right wing internationally relates to the reduction of social care and ever widening exclusions and hate crimes. In other words, disabalism in the current era of growing right wing extremism and nationalism is becoming more extensive and changing its form. In the UK, only those disabled people like me, who have been employed and have an employment related pension can afford good quality social care. The vast majority of disabled people are stuck with minimal care, both in terms of amount and quality.

The relevance, nature, the truth of the concepts of ‘disablism’ and ‘impairment effects’ ensures they could be used in a suitably adapted way in any field to do with disability and impairment. I throw them out there for others to pick up and use as they see fit to support the struggles of disabled people.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).