Don't "Dis" the Abled!

Ahhhh. where do I begin? This is a huge subject to tackle since being disabled or differently abled has so many meanings to different people. The dictionary's definition is a disadvantage or a or mental restricts normal achievement. In IDS 101 we learned about social and medical model of disability. Social model proposes that society is the issue and not the person. For instance, it isn't the wheelchair user that has the problem with gaining access but the building that doesn't offer a ramp that will allow access. Medical model is the opposite and says that the person is the issue and should be fixed or cured of the disability. Then there are the many types of disabilities we could discuss. Physical, mental, cognitive, environmental, chronic, or sensory. Whew.. I told you this was complicated.

As we discussed in class, the period before the 1900s disabled persons were seen as curiosities/freaks, immoral, sinful, possessed and even criminal. Science's answer was to fix or cure, segregate into institutions or asylums, or even sterilize. The 1900s brought a different attitude and things started to change. People were being rehabilitated, facilities were becoming accessible, de-institutionalization began (biggest wave was in the 1980s), and in 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) become a reality.

When I was growing up society hadn't yet embraced the political correctness that we experience today. People didn't say differently abled or challenged. The word I heard over and over was "retarded". My brother and I were constantly getting into fights with the neighborhood kids defending our sister Susan. She was born with brain damage and deafness. At two months old she suffered a stroke and became paralyzed on her left side. The doctors all but gave up and told my parents she would never walk or talk and probably wouldn't live past the age of two. Today Susan is 40 years old. Although she has many struggles with her physical, mental and medical impairments (her IQ is about 42), she has Lupus, and has seizures, she is more independent than a lot of abled body people I know. She has her own apartment, walks and talks and even though she is deaf, she seems to have an ability to hear everything. She also has a memory like an elephant. Don't forget her birthday because she will never let you forget that you did.

Another sibling, Derrick, is 23 and has Autism. There are many degrees of autism and he is considered to be high functioning. He can feed and bathe himself and be alone for hours at a time but unlike my sister Susan, he will always need some kind assistance. Derrick has an amazing sense of humor and likes to joke around and tease. He has a knack for directions. If you show him where a store or home is one time, he can find his way back without hesitation. Two different people with varying abilities yet society would just as well write both of them off.

In cinema there are five characteristics of disability:
Sweet innocent-childlike, pure, female - ex. Wizard of Oz
Obsessive avenger-violent, impulsive, bitter - ex. Freddy Kruger
Tragic victim-war veterans, young men, cynical - ex. Darth Vader
Noble warrior-also war veterans, but proud, heroic - ex. Luke Skywalker
Saintly sages-wise, blind, disability heightens senses - ex. Daredevil

If my brother and sister were in a film, I think they would be characterized as the sweet innocent. In the film X-Men, the differently abled are seen as freaks and essentially are institutionalized and segregated from "normal" society. The government even tries to cure their disability. This is a common theme in our society. I think people get uncomfortable with seeing someone in a wheelchair, or using a prosthetic, blind, or deformed. They are seen as invalids, freaks, and have nothing to contribute to society. I disagree with this. I believe we can learn valuable lessons like patience, perseverance, determination from a quadriplegic, a person with Down Syndrome, or someone that lives with chronic pain.

If the media would make an effort to portray people of different abilities in a favorable light, perhaps TABs (Temporarily Abled Body) would learn to embrace the things that make us different instead of gawking or running in terror.

Photo: https://academictech.doit.wisc.edu/ORFI/otr/creating/disabled