Presuming Competence

Presuming Competence: How Medical Authority Shapes Disability and Society Physicians and medical professionals hold extraordinary cultural authority. The ways they use—or fail to use—that authority have lifelong consequences for disabled people. Across fourteen chapters, Presuming Competence reveals how assumptions of incompetence ripple outward into education, employment, and public life, and how presuming competence can unlock new possibilities not only for disabled individuals but for entire societies. Drawing on research, lived experience, and global perspectives, this book exposes a pervasive cultural pattern: when doctors underestimate disabled people, their judgments influence families, teachers, employers, and policymakers. These assumptions become self-fulfilling prophecies, not because disability prevents achievement, but because societal structures—reinforced by medical authority—block access to respect and opportunity. With clarity and urgency, the author challenges readers to rethink how medical authority is wielded and calls for a cultural shift: one that recognizes disabled people as capable, autonomous, and essential contributors to our communities. Perfect for advocates, educators, healthcare professionals, and anyone committed to equity, Presuming Competence is both a critique and a call to action—showing how changing perceptions in medicine can transform society itself.