Disability Rights: Do We Really Mean It?

Abstract

This chapter will argue that the disability rights (DR) movement has a much lower level of acceptance than other civil rights movements, especially within the academy. This is true even though the other movements are regarded (at least by disability rights advocates) as similar in nature. By “within the academy” I mean within the discourses, formal and informal, of professional academicians: professors and other intellectuals and their students. I will try to demonstrate by example that positions held by the DR movement are summarily rejected by many within the academy, even though similar positions are unquestioningly endorsed when stated by advocates of women’s rights and “racial” or ethnic civil rights. My claim is not that women’s rights and racial civil rights are genuinely supported within the academy. Racism and sexism still exist, and have serious negative effects. However, racism and sexism are almost never openly endorsed in today’s academic discourse. The mismatch between discourse and practice is regrettable. However (I suggest) if practice matched discourse, minorities and women would have very nearly equal rights with majorities and men within the academy. Disabled people would still not have equal rights with nondisabled people. Basic DR principles are rejected not only in practice but also in discourse.