At its essence, disability IS the intersection of biology and power. That is, much like feminism defines gender as the social construction of roles in society that favor one sex (men) over the other (women), disability is a set of social constructs that favor the abled over the disabled. To at least some degree, biological difference BECOMES biological disability when it is inserted into a time and place with an existing power structure.
When the majority of people in power positions have a particular biological trait, they exert their power by designing society in a way that gives preference to those with that biological trait. The trait may be something as simple as a "normal" range of height. If a person falls far enough outside of this range, they face physical and attitudinal barriers to their access of what is "good" in life (independence, romantic relationships, choice of employment, etc). Perhaps my examples rely too heavily on my own experience as a little person, but I think this "power-centric" description of the social model of disability can really apply to any disabling difference.
To resist this oppression, we need an understanding of how the application of power works. How are people with disabilities "crippled" by this combination of biology and power? Some of the ways in which power is exerted over people with disabilities is fairly obvious. For instance, many times oppression is direct and unapologetic, as when people with disabilities are forced to live in nursing homes against their will because "there are no other options" (read: the way people in power are put together, they don't need help with x, y, and z and anyone who DOES need help with these things are physically isolated from the rest of the world, removed from society like a criminal). Other times, it is slightly more subtle, where people with power design physical space that excludes people with differences from access, standardized testing that excludes people with cognitive difference from academic success, or entertainment venues that exclude people with sensory differences from art.
The oppressive assertion of power that is the most shrouded – and hence often the most destructive – is power that is wrapped up in the guise of kindness. Here, I am talking abut pity. When one person pities another, more than anything else, it is an assertion of power. It is the expression of the belief that the pitier holds the high ground over the pitiful. When an attitude of pity is taken toward someone, the object of pity is never seen as an equal. Pity is not the same as compassion, which is an act of empathy. There is no empathy in pity. For pity to exist, there must be an "other" that is being pitied. There must be a group or an individual that is seen as separate from and LESS THAN the group or individual doing the pitying. This is an ultimate expression of power.
Sometimes, the hostile nature of pity bubbles up to the surface. This is the case for The Annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis. As if his generally patronizing attitude wasn't enough to clue you in about what Jerry REALLY thinks about people with disabilities, he has, in recent history given us more evidence to go on, like the 1990 Parade Magazine article where he states "When I sit back and think a little more rationally, I realize my life is half, so I must learn to do things halfway. I just have to learn to try to be good at being a half a person … and get on with my life." –Jerry Lewis on what disability must be like." When the interviewer suggests that pity may be a harm rather than a good for people with disabilities, Jerry Lewis responds with anger on CBS Sunday Morning (May 20, 2001), "Pity? [If] you don't want to be pitied because you're a cripple in a wheelchair, stay in ya house!"—Jerry Lewis.
These words leave us with no doubt that a war is being waged at the intersection of power and biology. A war between those who would oppress and marginalize others to preserve a status quo, and those who are proud of who they are and resist this oppression in all its forms, especially pity.