A recent poll says most Americans don’t hold ableist hostilities but are also relieved that Trump permits them not to give a shit either way.
The predominant sentiment among respondents was that they understand why people with disabilities need distinct supports and accommodations, but they remain skeptical that their tax dollars should do anything to assist this. In lieu of paying taxes, they would prefer more money in their pocket to keep pace with the rising cost of essentials like groceries, prescriptions, gas and subscriptions to Netflix and Disney+.
Others say they simply don’t know many people with disabilities and know even less about the systems these people have to navigate because of their disability. Respondents report a go-with-the-flow attitude toward life and don’t bother themselves with the troubles of others until those troubles come to them. When asked a follow-up question about what they would do if they became disabled in old age, they said they imagined there would be some government program to help them take care of it.
Next, there was a surprisingly large group moved by the seemingly apolitical matter of the “R-word,” a once popular, recently shunned slur which has experienced a minor cultural revival with Trump’s ascendance to office. While it has nothing to do with governing, they attribute this development to Trump all the same. This group feels the anti-disability intentions behind the R-word are overstated and insist they use it solely for the rhetorical value of dismissing certain people or ideas that aren’t worth engaging with. Moreover, they say they use it about Trump as much as, if not more than, anything else, and they would never fathom using it toward or about people with disabilities.
Lastly, a small portion of respondents said they don’t hold prejudice against anyone with a disability, but they don’t understand why anyone would choose to make life harder on themselves by having one. The rest — about 35% of respondents in total — admitted to being all-around assholes.