Ask an Anarchist: What if Someone Needs a Wheelchair?

Neighbourhood Anarchist Collective || Theodor asked us:

“How would an anarchist society handle for example someone who needs a wheelchair, or have like Down syndrome or something?”

This is a very interesting question and prompted a long discussion.

First, I would want to ask what prompted the question. There are so many reasons to ask, and ableism is so rampant in every aspect of our lives, that I would love to hear the story behind how this question came to us. So I have compiled several answers, based on perspectives members of the Collective brought up in response to different arguments we have heard.

Short answer first: if a person needs a wheelchair, we will find them a wheelchair. If a person has Down syndrome, we will provide whatever support they need to live the life they want.

Unpacking further: capitalism has us believe that our worth starts and ends with what we are able to produce. Anarchism fundamentally rejects this idea. A person who is unable to work due to disability has inherent worth. Free from the demands of capitalism, the things we can do that are not “productive” can be valued again.

People will still need support in any societal structure. All of us do, in different ways. Some people need help with basic physical needs. In the discussion, we talked about how many of us do this kind of work under capitalism because it’s what we love to do. We agreed that we would continue to do this work in a better world, and in so many ways, it would become easier. We wouldn’t have to fight greedy insurance companies for medications and mobility deices. Caregivers wouldn’t have to spend hours proving to the government that the people we care for really do need our care. People with disabilities could get married without losing their access to support.

Caring for someone is not a handout or an act of charity. One member stated “our brains are hard-wired for human connection. Compassion and inclusion aren’t altruism. Helping others meet their needs also meets our needs.” As a lifelong caregiver, this resonates with me powerfully. So many of us find joy in helping that it seems impossible for us to be the exceptions to a selfish human nature.

Anarchism does reject many of the structures of this modern world. However, it doesn’t automatically mean primitivism or a rejection of every aspect of modern life. And primitivism does not automatically mean ableism. While we might have a vision of fierce cave dwellers living by “survival of the fittest,” the archeological records tell a different story. We see skeletons of people who were unable to walk, who ylived a expected life span, carried by their tribe. There is a burial site in Ireland where 5,000 years ago, someone with Down syndrome was buried in a place of honor. The remains of one woman showed that she was unable to walk and also had signs of tooth decay. Her people brought her dates, a rare find in their territory. She wasn’t just “allowed to live,” she was loved and doted on. In short: we have cared for those who need care for about the last 500,000 years. We’re not going to stop after the revolution.

This is one person’s opinion (with input from others) and does not necessarily speak for everyone in NAC.
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