ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author identifies the influence of stigma in vocabulary surrounding the causes and perceptions of disability in Africa as a driving force in both hate speech and other forms of victimization, which can even involve murder. Stigmatizing attitudes around disability are the source of hate speech. At its most basic, stigma undergirds the Otherizing of those deemed to be of lesser value than the stigmatizers, and arises out of negative, erroneous, perceptions and fear of “the Other.” A social model of disability is preferred by disability advocates and disability studies scholars for unpacking issues related to disability and society, because it emphasizes that disability is a social construct. This implies that all human beings exist on any number of continua related to their physical, psychological, and emotional makeup, creating unique individuals with an unlimited array of personal characteristics that transcend compartmentalization and fixed categories.
