What Do We Mean When We Say “Disabled?”
Our work is focused on disability - but what exactly does that mean? And what does it mean to center disability?
We started the Interdependent Futures Lab with a desire to focus specifically on issues that impact disabled people. Given the current hostility toward disabled people and inclusivity in the US, a clear understanding of disability is essential for working toward a better future. So, what do we mean when we say “disabled?”
Disability has been formally defined by various government entities in the United States as:
A legal term used to protect certain people from discrimination on the basis of impairments or perceived impairments (Americans With Disabilities Act)
A term referring to a mental or physical impairment that prevents a person from earning money (U.S. Social Security Administration)
A term that includes three dimensions including some kind of impairment, limitations to the activities a person can do, and limitations to participation in certain social roles (Centers for Disease Control)
All of these definitions refer to “impairments” as physical or mental features that impact a person’s ability to do certain things like maintain day-to-day self-care, engage in paid work, use our senses, independently maintain basic bodily functions, think and concentrate, and communicate with others. These definitions are used to identify if people qualify for specific benefits, legal protections, healthcare treatments or therapies, and access to disability supports.
But these definitions don’t tell the whole story of what disability is, what it’s like to live as a disabled person, or how disabled people relate to their communities and broader society. As activist and scholar Simi Linton reminds us, “Disability is not a characteristic that exists in the person. It is a construct … that society has decided to identify as disability.” In other words, to call someone “disabled” is not only to describe their bodymind (a term used within a disability justice framework to show that bodies and minds are inseparable), but to recognize how environments, policies, and attitudes create barriers for us.
Models of Disability
This recognition that disability is often caused or exacerbated by the barriers that society creates for people is central to the Social Model of Disability. The Social Model tells us that there is nothing inherently wrong with people who have bodymind differences, and instead highlights the ways in which society excludes and harms us either through neglecting to address our needs or willfully discriminating against us. Instead of assuming that bodymind differences signify individual deficits, the Social Model recognizes that bodymind diversity is a natural part of the human experience. Indeed, disability justice scholars and activists often note that disability can impact anyone at any time, and that if we live long enough we will all more than likely experience some form of long-term illness or disability that requires accommodation and care.
The Social Model is often presented in opposition to the Medical Model of disability, which is dominant in mainstream society. The Medical Model frames disability as a problem or deficit that is located within individual bodyminds and must be fixed or cured by the medical system or other forms of intervention. These are not the only ways to think about disability, but it’s helpful to understand these models when we talk about disability.
How We Define Disability
Our lived experiences of disability as well as our lived experiences of caring for disabled people means that we are acutely aware of social barriers that are disabling as well as the very real, physical, mental, and emotional challenges that can come with disability. We do not believe that all of these challenges can be identified as purely social. For example, if an autistic person has a predisposition to migraine headaches, an environment with fluorescent lights and strong smells may increase the frequency or intensity of those migraines, but the person may still have migraines even in a perfectly accessible and controlled environment. Those who fully embrace the Medical Model may lean into eugenics, believing that the existence of inherent bodymind challenges in some individuals means that we should try to “cure” them or ensure that they do not exist in future generations. Counter to this dangerous thinking, we do not believe that a “perfect world” is one in which disabled people do not exist, but is one in which people with divergent bodyminds or whose bodyminds experience pain, suffering, or other challenges due to their inherent nature are still cared for, respected, supported, and allowed the opportunity to flourish.
In short, we believe that social and biological aspects must be jointly considered when discussing disability and that the social nature of human systems (including science and medicine) should not be ignored. After all, systems like medicine were created by humans, and are deeply intertwined with human beliefs, biases, politics, and power relations. While we recognize the importance of access to medical treatments and supports, we also urge caution in the medicalization of disability—particularly in a country where medicalization is often used for surveillance, control, and punishment of disabled people and justifying individualistic ideas about health and responsibility while overlooking the impact of social inequities on human health and well-being.
Rather than focusing solely on the individual, our definition of disability relies heavily on the concept of interdependence. We draw from disability justice movements that recognize that interdependence has been foundational to the success of our species and should be the foundation of our futures.
I’m Not Disabled! Why Should I Care?
When we talk about disability and interdependence, we are directly challenging individualistic notions— prevalent in the U.S. —that it’s “every person for themselves” and that we do not owe one another anything. The truth is that no human being on this Earth goes through their entire existence alone. Whether we require care during childhood, a short-term illness, or challenges that emerge due to accidents or old age — we all rely upon others at some point in time. This means that even if you are not currently disabled, you exist because of care from others and you may need care again one day. It also means that you may become a caregiver one day if you are not one already. Developing systems that provide care, basic necessities, and accessibility for disabled people who face the greatest challenges, as well as for their caregivers and supporters, ensures that the infrastructure is there to support you (and everyone else) when you do need it.
It is also important to consider that disabled people do not live in a bubble apart from all other human beings. They are at least 1 out of every 4 people in the U.S. They are part of our families, our social networks, and our workplaces. Because many disabilities are invisible, you may not even know that you are close to a disabled person already. Creating a world that is more accessible and supportive of disabled people can have a significant ripple effect, improving life for them, their co-workers, their caregivers, and those who they care for.
How Can We Center Disability in Research and Organizational Projects?
At the Interdependent Futures Lab, we want to see a world where disabled people and their communities are meaningfully supported, included in society, and provided a chance to thrive. We also know that disabled people who experience intersecting forms of oppression (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, etc.) are disproportionately harmed by systems that fail to consider their experiences. Our goal is to make meaningful change to systems and processes that perpetuate ableism and other forms of oppression.
We imagine a future that is collaboratively designed by the most impacted communities — where diverse ways of thinking, being, and doing are not just included but are celebrated and appreciated. We can’t wait to work with you to make that future a reality!