The impact of disablism on the psycho-emotional well-being of families with a child with impairment

Abstract

According to Carol Thomas, individuals with impairment are subjected to disablism. They are disadvantaged in material areas of life and also in the non-material domain of psycho-emotional well-being, by the impact of negative ideas, images and stereotypes about impairment and disability. Families with children with impairment have also been described as disadvantaged. Whether this disadvantage is the result of disablism is unknown. This study explored how disadvantage affects families with a child with impairment using Thomas' iteration of the social model of disability. Twelve mothers were interviewed to understand their everyday routines and the influence of impairment in their family life. Family members did encounter prejudice associated with impairment, however, the mothers were able to ‘stand aside’ from this such that their psycho-emotional well-being was not harmed as Thomas describes for individuals with impairment. These families are nevertheless disadvantaged in that they do not enter social interactions on an equal footing with others. This paper describes the ways in which the mothers resisted prejudice. It also suggests that Thomas' model may benefit from considering the harms of disablism from this perspective.

Keywords:

• families
• disability
• social model of disability
• disabled children
• prejudice