In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

DIVIDED SOCIET Y I have the right when I go out and pay good money for a meal to enjoy it. The sight of a woman i n a wheelchair with food runnin g down her chin would make me throw up. I believe my rights should be respected as much as the rights of the person in the wheelchair . . . maybe even more so, because I am normal and she is not. In my opinion, restaurants should have a special section for handicapped people—partially hidden by palms or other greenery so they are not seen by other guests. —excerpts from two letters printed in an Ann Landers column, spring 1987 No perso n who is diseased, maimed , mutilate d o r in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object or improper person to be allowed in or on the public ways or other public places in this city, shall therein or thereon expose himself to public view, under penalty of not less than one dollar nor more than fifty dollars for each offense. —fro m the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago It i s in th e forma l an d informal , th e explici t an d th e tacit , th e overt and the covert that society works to divide up the huma n community an d oppres s som e o f it s members. The abov e exampl e of publi c rule s an d privat e thought s (reveale d i n th e safet y o f anonymity) ma y not see m to have much force . Federa l law prohibits suc h discrimination , an d publi c expressio n o f thes e sentiment s would b e scorne d i n man y circle s an d th e speaker s brande d a s unsympathetic o r uncharitable , no t t o mentio n unsophisticated . But th e underlyin g etho s ha s no t dissolve d wit h shirtin g practices ; it remains a virulent forc e with ne w manifestations . 3 As Young (1990 ) notes : The objectificatio n an d overt domination o f despised bodies tha t obtained i n th e nineteent h century , however , ha s receded i n ou r time, an d a discursiv e commitmen t t o equalit y fo r al l ha s emerged. Racism , sexism , homophobia , ageism , an d ableism , I argue , hav e no t disappeare d wit h tha t commitment , bu t have gon e underground , dwellin g i n everyda y habit s an d cul tural meaning s o f which peopl e ar e fo r th e mos t par t unaware . (124) To Young' s comment s I woul d ad d tha t i n additio n t o th e everyday habit s an d cultura l meanings , ther e remai n policie s an d practices tha t serv e t o contro l an d marginaliz e disable d people . Unfortunately, thes e barrier s t o th e integratio n o f disable d peopl e are ofte n no t full y visible , a t leas t no t t o th e untraine d observer . They functio n lik e th e "glas s ceiling " tha t women com e u p agains t when attemptin g t o advanc e i n business . Bu t i t would b e a mistak e to sa y tha t th e barrier s tha t wome n o r disable d peopl e encounte r are trul y invisible . Fo r instance , th e polic y t o exclud e wome n fro m private club s wher e busines s deal s ar e clinche d migh t b e mad e visible b y lookin g a t th e bylaw s o f suc h clubs , o r b y testin g th e admissions practices . Th e practice s within th e club s ca n b e reveale d by conductin g researc h o n th e behavior s an d habit s o f thei r mem bers t o find ou t ho w the y transac t busines s whil e seemin g t o tal k about golf . O f cours e i t woul d tak e extraordinar y method s t o...

Share