---
title: Ableism
slug: ableism
defined: true
speech: noun
---

a system that places value on people’s bodies and minds based on societally constructed ideas of normalcy, intelligence, excellence and productivity. These constructed ideas are deeply rooted in anti-Blackness, eugenics, colonialism and capitalism.

— Talia "TL" Lewis

#### Impact

To paraphrase Lewis, ableism "leads to people and society determining who is valuable and worthy based on a person’s appearance and/or their ability to [...] produce, excel and 'behave.'" Importantly, you do not have to be disabled to experience ableism.

#### Further reading

- [Longmore Lecture: Context, Clarity & Grounding](https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/longmore-lecture-context-clarity-grounding)
- [Ableism 2020: An Updated Definition](https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/ableism-2020-an-updated-definition)