Ableism, a form of discrimination that elevates "able" bodies over
those perceived as less capable, remains one of the most widespread
areas of systematic and explicit discrimination in Western culture.
Yet in contrast to the substantial body of scholarly work on
racism, sexism, classism, and heterosexism, ableism remains
undertheorized and underexposed. In this book, James L. Cherney
takes a rhetorical approach to the study of ableism to reveal how
it has worked its way into our everyday understanding of
disability. Ableist Rhetoric argues that ableism is learned and
transmitted through the ways we speak about those with
disabilities. Through a series of textual case studies, Cherney
identifies three rhetorical norms that help illustrate the
widespread influence of ableist ideas in society. He explores the
notion that "deviance is evil" by analyzing the possession
narratives of Cotton Mather and the modern horror touchstone The
Exorcist. He then considers whether "normal is natural" in
Aristotle's Generation of Animals and in the cultural debate over
cochlear implants. Finally, he shows how the norm "body is able"
operates in Alexander Graham Bell's writings on eugenics and in the
legal cases brought by disabled athletes Casey Martin and Oscar
Pistorius. These three simple equivalencies play complex roles
within the social institutions of religion, medicine, law, and
sport. Cherney concludes by calling for a rhetorical model of
disability, which, he argues, will provide a shift in orientation
to challenge ableism's epistemic, ideological, and visual
components. Accessible and compelling, this groundbreaking book
will appeal to scholars of rhetoric and of disability studies as
well as to disability rights advocates.
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