https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2819894

I lean toward applauding any move that seeks to address ableism. Biases – with regard to any property, whether it is a physical difference, poverty, age, skin or hair color or anything else – do so much damage.

Partly at work is the focusing illusion:

• Someone is of a certain age, “hence” probably has dementia.
• Someone has a physical disability, “hence” is already in bad health and does not deserve the same level of care and consideration as others.
• Someone has a physical disability, “hence” is miserable all the time.
• Someone is of a certain age, “hence” is no longer interested in anything and needs to be warehoused, wither away and be enabled to pass away out of sight of the rest of society.
• Someone is black, “hence” is extra-ordinarily strong and does not need the same level of healthcare as whites.
• Someone does not talk, “hence” is of low intelligence.
• Someone is poor, “hence” is genetically flawed and/or mentally impaired.

And so on and so forth.

All other aspects of someone’s life and personality are casually dismissed, usually not even looked at.

It’s all about this: