---
title: Ableism
slug: ableism
defined: true
excerpt: 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. — Talila "TL" Lewis
speech: noun
flag:
  level: warning
  text: content warning
reading:
- text: "Ableism 2020: An Updated Definition"
  href: https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/ableism-2020-an-updated-definition
- text: "Longmore Lecture: Context, Clarity & Grounding"
  href: https://www.talilalewis.com/blog/longmore-lecture-context-clarity-grounding
---

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.

— Talila "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.'" You do not have to be disabled to experience ableism, and Disabled people can also reinforce ableism internally (manifesting as harm to themselves) and externally (harm to other disabled people).

## Other Languages

[Français](/definitions/fr_FR/capacitisme)
[Português](/definitions/pt_PT/capacitismo)