Understanding Ableism

2019.01.27 –  Dr. Terri Thrower “Understanding Ableism”
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For more information able addressing ableism, click here to visit EqUUal Access: Including ALL, Changing Attitudes.

As a society we acknowledge racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and heterosexism as biased, bigoted, and just plain wrong.   However, Ableism (which favors and privileges the able-bodied over those with disability), too often remains intact, unchallenged, and as powerful as ever.   In this discussion, Dr. Thrower will introduce ableism: what is it, how it plays out in our daily social interactions, and what we can do to counter its negative effects.

Dr. Thrower holds a Ph.D. in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling.  She has lived over 50 years with disability and chronic illness.

At age 3, Terri was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, the root cause of most of her health/disability issues. With over 40 major surgeries, she has had all major joints in her lower body replaced with prosthetics.  At age 32, Terri lost most of her usable vision to glaucoma.  In 2016, suffering from neck vertebrae collapse and a permanently injured spinal cord, she underwent occipital-cervical fusion to prevent total paralysis.

Terri is writing a memoir and advocates for disability inclusion. She and her husband are rebuilding a life in the North Georgia mountains focused on nature and the interdependence of all life.

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