By: McKinlee Armstrong
As you venture into the world of storytelling, sooner or later you will encounter the multi-faceted issue of representation. I want to emphasize that representation itself is not an issue, but rather it becomes an issue when writers and other creators do not do their due diligence.
One particular group that I find is commonly misrepresented or missing completely is people with disabilities. So how can we, as writers, do better? In answering that question, I’d like to put forth the works of well-known disability rhetoric scholars. One in particular, Jay Dolmage, has coined eleven “myths,” or stereotypes, regarding disability that are problematic, yet are prevalent in media. I’ve included the definitions of 5 myths below:
● Disability as Object of Pity and/or Charity: People with disabilities are represented as sad and impotent, a problem that can be solved via charity.
● Physical Deformity as Sign of Internal Flaw: Describing the body of an individual and accentuating its foreignness, abnormality, or exoticness allows for insinuations of internal deviance or lack.
● Kill-or-Cure: A disabled character will either have to be “killed or cured” by the end of any movie or novel in which they appear.
● Disability Drop: The push to cure disability, overcoming, and the idea that people with disabilities are “faking” or embellishing their disabilities.
● Overcoming or Compensation: The person with a disability overcomes their impairment through hard work or has some special talent that offsets their deficiencies.
Consider recent movies or books you’ve watched and read. Have you seen any of these stereotypes? In discussing these myths with classmates, I’ve identified Darth Vader as an example of physical deformity as a sign of internal flaw, Toph Beifong as an example of overcoming or compensation, and Tiny Tim as an example of disability as an object of pity and/or charity. While these are beloved characters across genres, their portrayals of disability are problematic.
I want to reaffirm to you and young writers that representation is absolutely welcomed and needed in your stories. People with disabilities, in particular, deserve to exist and be visible in works of fiction. So, write them with care and do your research.
If you’re interested in learning more about disability myths, read the “An Archive and Anatomy of Disability Myths” chapter in Dolmage’s book Disability Myths.
Comments