Looking over which of the different IAT tests I wanted to take, I selected the Able vs. Disabled bodied bias test. Having struggled with a structural hip problems for a significant portion of my life, I have experienced what it is like to be temporarily disabled. Thankfully now, after multiple surgeries, I am healed and working my way back to being completely able-bodied again. No, I am not nor was I ever actually “disabled” in the sense that many people think of it, but I have received disability accommodations and extra support when needed because of my hip. But most if not all of my friends are able bodied, so we differ in terms of our experiences. Additionally, I have found that for some people, including myself, being “able” is a category that is fluid. For some it isn’t, but for others it is. That is why I decided to select that particular test to evaluate my own biases and compare them to my experiences.
The test showed me that I have a moderate automatic preference for able bodied people. I’m not sure quite how they determine that result but I’ll take it for what it is. There is something really uncomfortable about confronting bias, especially being told what your biases are. But consciousness is really important. Dr. Bezio’s conversation about media representation and breaking stigmas and stereotypes makes this clear. Being aware that we all have implicit biases (rooted in our “lizard brains”) is the first step towards disrupting them in ourselves and society at large. Listening to new music or watching a TV show may help us break down biases and being conscious of them in the first place is a great start. Being aware of a problem is always the first step to fixing it. So even if I feel uncomfortable with my own biases, I’m working to fix them!
I think it is such a great point that being aware of your own bias is important. It can help you in many situations where you can learn and work on not letting them affect your decisions. This is something more people need to hear.
I definitely agree that confronting our biases can be really uncomfortable. I don’t think anyone wants to admit that they have a bias towards another group of people over another, but we all do based off the environment we grew up in and the media and television that we were shown as kids. We don’t want to have them, but we all do, and we can never work towards fixing them if we don’t acknowledge that we have them.
I think your point on acknowledging bias is really important. No one wants to have biases, but at the end of the day, they do exist. The only way to move past them is to understand that they are there, work to correct yourself and others when they come up, and teach the next generation to accept everyone (even if they are not your kids specifically). Confronting bias is scary because it’s uncomfortable but if we can attempt to ease some of the pain that is felt by those that bias is inflicted on, then I think it is 100% worth being a little uncomfortable! I find it powerful that we get to do this at a young age (even though our brains are very developed) so that we have more time to work on this as opposed to, for example, our parents or grandparents. Starting the conversation early is paramount and I love that we get to be in a class/major that addresses this problem.