[lbo-talk] impaired = colorless and noncharismatic

[Marta Russell]

>
>  > That isn't the point really.  The point is that such physical
>>  characteristics get mentioned as the defining ones - they garner such
>>  remarks. How does this reporter know what people think of the man's
>>  physical state?
>
>from experience? i had a teacher that had a lazy eye and she could see
>with it fine. that's not any excuse to be rude of course.......but being
>insensitive isn't neccesarily a case of disablism. is being insensitive an
>impairment?

Seeing with it fine has nothing to do with it. It is the lay person's 
reaction to the impairments.
Disablism is a specific form of social oppression stems from the 
subordination of people because of their impairment.

Pushing the physical characteristics upfront was not called for.

The reporter used a biological characteristic (impairment) as the 
basis for the comment -- from a state of  able-bodied "normalcy"  -- 
otherwise the eye and speech would not have drawn his comment.

Marta

-- 
Marta Russell
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.disweb.org