an interview with Heidi Janz

Heidi Janz is a postdoctoral fellow with the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta. She has done extensive research on end-of-life issues for people with disabilities, as well as being a writer and playwright and recipient of the 2010 Tanis Doe award for Canadian Disability Study and Culture.

What does anti-ableism mean to you?

To me, anti-ableism is a social and ethical principle. Anti-ableism is about individuals and social institutions recognizing that any kind of discrimination against people based on their dis/abilities is morally and ethically wrong, and therefore should not be tolerated.


Why is anti-ableism important?

I think that anti-ableism is important because I believe that, unless/until a society recognizes that all its members are inherently valuable and worthy of respect, everyone in that society will be at risk of maltreatment and victimization. It seems to me that able-ism is really about a fear of or refusal to recognize that all human abilities are in fact temporary; all people, if they live long enough, will acquire disabilities of one type or another. To acknowledge this means acknowledging one's own vulnerability, and that can be scary. On the other hand, by acknowledging disability as a universal human experience, society, I believe, becomes a safer place for EVERYONE.


What effect has ableism had on your life?

I think that ALL people with disabilities encounter ableism, in various forms and to varying degrees, throughout their lives. For me, I guess the ableism that I most often experience takes the form of people's reluctance to have to "deal with" my disability. For example, just the other day, I got into an argument with a DATS booking agent who didn't want to take my booking until I had an aide with me because she claimed she couldn't understand my speech. On my THIRD CALL back, guess what? -- she was able to take my booking.

What can people do to fight ableism?

I think that one of the best ways to fight ableism is for people with disabilities (along with their friends and families) to take pride in who they are, rather than somehow feeling a need to apologize for their disability.


What is one positive experience you've had with anti-ableism?

My very first prof in university, Bruce Stovel, always took a very practical approach to working WITH me to figure out ways to accommodate my disability-related needs. When, during the course of my undergrad, I encountered professors who were decidedly ableist in their attitude toward having me, a disabled student, in their class, I would usually refer them to Bruce for some "behavior modification." On the whole, this strategy proved to be remarkably successful.