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Social Construction

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The social construction of an impaired other assigns them the label disabled, which oppresses the individuals and actuates the dominance of the able-bodied self. Social constructs reinforce discourses, naturalising what is perceived as general knowledge in regard to stereotypical characteristics of the societal other and the perceived idealism of a social norm (Butler, 1999). Public space as both a spatial and social entity has constructed societal ideologies of a supposed desirable and idealistic physique, which others any who are unable to or simply do not conform with this constructed norm (Butler, 1999). Furthermore, physical structures act to embody social boundaries reinforcing the naturalisation of such social constructs.

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Structures within public spaces are a direct control upon accessibility and free movement (Butler, 1999). Therefore if the structures of such an environment inhibit the accessibility and movement of physically impaired individuals while enabling that of able-bodied people, this environment works to segregate these two groups and reinforce othering of the inhibited individuals (Butler, 1999). Well known examples of such inhibitions include ramp access for wheelchairs and Braille information for the blind (Butler, 1999). Imrie (2001) refers to this as a type of architectural apartheid, a subtle yet effective method of creating boundaries which other the disabled. These physical structures which disable impaired individuals from accessing certain areas like an underground train station act to create physical boundaries, one which able bodied individuals can easily navigate, but physically impaired people cannot (Imrie, 2001). A physical boundary such as this, acts to embody the social boundaries set by cultural values and discourses in relation to impairments (Dear et al., 1997). Subsequently physical structuring of public spaces acts to naturalise the social construct of a disabled other by excluding them from full utilisation of a space they have an equal right to navigate (Imrie, 2001). Furthermore, these structures accomodate that of an able …show more content…
This could come in the form of an institution for the mentally impaired or specific schools for impaired children (Dear et al., 1997). Unlike the aforementioned boundaries, these boundaries are deliberate and aim to keep those with impairments within certain confines (Dear et al., 1997). While these areas are intended to protect the impaired from a society which they would find difficult to function within, they could also be seen as imprisoning the impaired simply because they are different (Imrie, 2001). Therefore it is possible to observe these structures as a means of excluding the disabled other from public spaces and thus further reinforce the social construct of a disabled other, removing them from public space and therefore further naturalising the existence of an able bodied

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