Definition of “ableism” - English Dictionary

“ableism” in English

See all translations

ableismnoun [ U ]

/ˈeɪ.bə.lɪ.zəm/ /ˈeɪ.bə.lɪ.zəm/

unfair treatment of people because they have a disability (= an illness, injury, or condition that makes it difficult for them to do things that other people do):

We acknowledge that women are oppressed not just by sexism, but by classism, homophobia, racism, ageism, ableism, etc.
ableist
adjective /ˈeɪ.bə.lɪst/ /ˈeɪ.bə.lɪst/

An ableist society is one that treats non-disabled individuals as the standard of “normal living”.

(Definition of “ableism” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)