Ableism as Violence

“Ableism as Violence offers a sharp framework for analysing the diffuse yet connected harms that shape disabled lives, serving as a powerful call to action for activists and scholars alike.” Steven Allen, Validity Foundation “Wow. This book makes it so easy to understand that ableism is a form of systemic violence that enables many other facets of societal violence, and that ableism is not a concept only of relevance for disabled people but of relevance for society as a whole. One can only hope that this book will be given to students as a resource in every class that covers societal topics.” Gregor Wolbring, University of Calgary “A timely, urgent and innovative book which puts a range of literatures into conversation to surface and better understand contemporary instances of violence against disabled people. The conceptualisations offered will undoubtedly shape and sharpen future research in this area. A vital and powerful read.” Beverley Clough, Manchester Law School “A bold and timely contribution revealing how ableism itself is a form of violence – systemic, everyday and structural – challenging us to confront injustice and reimagine disability rights.” Heng-Hao Chang, National Taipei University “With Ableism as Violence, Beckett and Griffiths have produced a vital book, confronting the multiple forms of violence that are produced through the systemic privileging of ableism in society.” Janice McLaughlin, Newcastle University “By explaining how ableism functions as a dispositif – dispersed across legal, medical, social and bureaucratic systems – this book will be a key reference point for seeking to understand the violence and social harms endured by disabled people and others.” Lucy Series, University of Bristol “As a lawyer engaged in the fight against abuse in some of the most dangerous places worldwide – locked facilities where children and adults are detained for their own ‘care’ – this book provides invaluable new advocacy tools. It opened my eyes to forms of violence I had overlooked stemming from misguided ways of thinking that put people in harm’s way.” Eric Rosenthal, Disability Rights International