What is it about?
Ableism is the belief that a particular body or mind is ideal and necessary to live a full life. In aphasia, ableism manifests as the belief that a mind that can produce spoken language to communicate in grammatically conventional sentences is ideal. This paper describes how ableism likely manifests as stigma and discrimination experienced by people with aphasia. We discuss insights and challenges encountered when investigating the intersection of ableism and aphasia and potential next steps aimed at combating ableism in aphasia rehabilitation and research.
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Why is it important?
Social norms, shared attitudes, and beliefs decrease quality of life for people with aphasia via experiences of stigma and discrimination. Speech language therapists and researchers are well-positioned to challenge ableism to improve the quality of life for people with aphasia.
Perspectives
We recognize that ableism is a complex topic and acknowledge there are many unanswered questions about the intersection of ableism and aphasia. We hope this work can serve as a springboard to increase discourse about the impact of ableism on people living with aphasia. Developing a complete understanding of ableism in aphasia must include the perspective and experiences of people with aphasia.
Kristen Nunn
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My greatest hope is that in reading this paper, readers will critically examine their own beliefs and thoughts about communication disabilities. I hope it also encourages clinicians who work with people with communication disabilities to think of ways to be disability-affirming in their service delivery. This work has certainly had that effect for me!
Victoria Tilton-Bolowsky
Johns Hopkins University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Moving Toward Anti-Ableist Practices in Aphasia Rehabilitation and Research: A Viewpoint, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, June 2024, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),
DOI: 10.1044/2024_ajslp-23-00456.
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