Ableism is not a word in my working vocabulary. Google writes that it’s the discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. Many people with disabilities regard it as a very negative word and denigrate the able-bodied world for it. I oppose discrimination of any kind, especially when it’s directed towards me, but I am terribly concerned about the price we are paying using this word. The cost of building ourselves up by tearing another down is terribly high. We need to educate the able-bodied to our worth, capabilities, wants, needs, and hopes. Instead of creating an enemy, let’s build a friendship with the able-bodied, a conversation, and a dialogue. Let’s hear where they are coming from and share where we are coming from, and build a community founded on interconnectedness and not division. There is strength and power in unity and solidarity because we have much we can learn from each other when we communicate with one another. Let’s work tirelessly to build each other up.