In this interview, Dr. Joel Reynolds discuss the ableist assumptions and conflations that undermine the dignity and rights of disabled persons. Dr. Reynolds also shares how their work (and their own story) highlights the ways in which the lived experiences of disabled persons challenge commonly held assertions of what it means to live a good life.

The ableist conflation that undergirds much of Western philosophy generally follows these four steps:

1. Disability necessarily involves a lack or deprivation of a natural good.
2. Deprivation of a natural good is a harm.
3. Harm causes or is itself a form of pain and suffering.
4. Given 1-3, disabilty comes along with or directly causes pain and suffering.

Dr. Reynolds walks through this while also providing phenomenologies of pain and ability.