Problematic Discourse of Viewing Disabilities as "Inspirational"
Initial Thoughts on Disabilities:
From my earliest memories, I remember seeing images, posters, and videos of disabled people performing ordinary tasks such as checking out a library book or playing a sport with an inspirational quote attached. Like many others, I viewed this media as a form of inspiration and took the message at face value. We were taught to admire these individuals because we assume that our bodies may not need to work as hard or face the same day-to-day struggles as they do.
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| Image by Rudzhan Nagiev, via istockphoto.com |
This week, I've realized that I have been deceived by this "inspirational" messaging strategy because it completely contradicts the goal it is trying to achieve. Instead of unifying us by setting aside our differences, placing such a large inspirational emphasis on disabled people for living their lives, only separates us further.
