Agnes Trzak, "Speciesism and Disability"
Channel: Radio-CRÉ
Date: 2021-10-15

Speaker | Conférencière : Agnes Trzak, activist-scholar
Organization | Organisation : CRÉ, GRÉEA
Event | Événement : "Speciesism & Other Discriminations | Spécisme et autres discriminations"
Panel 4: "Speciesism & Ableism | Spécisme et capacitisme"

Also available on | Également disponible sur : 
https://soundcloud.com/greea/agnes-tr...

Abstract | Résumé
"Speciesism and Disability: A Story about a disabled Dog, a Duck and the Woman who Cared for Them"

Forms of human oppression rely on speciesist tools of dehumanisation and objectification to justify and make possible the violence perpetrated by a dominant group over a marginalised one. This is precisely where the intersection between ableism and speciesism lies, as disabled humans are routinely dehumanised and so robbed of agency and a presence in society. In this talk we will explore the dangers of using the concept of ability to justify moral consideration amongst humans and how ableism works beyond constructed species barriers. We will uncover how the construct of “humanness” in a Eurocentric capitalist context is linked to (neurotypical) ability. Where does such a rigid understanding of “humanness” place animals in our ethics? In what ways can we dismantle hierarchies that grant more or less social capital to individuals, based on their ability? Agnes will share an intimate story of her relationship with two of her animal companions, a disabled dog and an injured duck, shedding light onto how we construct certain identities, such as that of a “dog”, or that of a “woman” and exploring what happens when dominant societal expectations towards these fabricated identities cannot be met. As a disabled person, Agnes knows how rigid assumptions about an Other can make many parts of social life inaccessible to the othered person. Yet Agnes relies solely on perception and projection when telling this story, which thus can only ever be a story about the dog and the duck, but never their story.

More information | Plus d'information : https://greea.ca/%C3%A9v%C3%A8nement/...