Compulsory Able-Bodiedness

A concept from disability studies scholar Robert McRuer describing the pervasive social assumption that all people should aspire to and perform able-bodiedness as the default, desirable state. Like compulsory heterosexuality, compulsory able-bodiedness operates as an invisible norm against which all bodies are measured, pathologizing those who deviate. In technology design, compulsory able-bodiedness manifests when systems assume standard physical and cognitive capabilities, treat accessibility as an afterthought, or design assistive technologies primarily to make disabled people appear more "normal" rather than supporting their actual preferences and needs.