Hey everyone! Sorry for the late blog but today, I wanted to talk about something I actually learned fairly recently. I've actually been taking a summer class that focuses on disabilities and the stigma around it. Every other blog, I'm going to try providing resources and topics to look into that have peaked my interest or opened my eyes.
One thing that I learned about is something called Ableism or Inspiration Porn. For some of you, you see the word "porn" and your eyes widen. That's fine; it happened to me too. For those of you that don't know, ableism or inspiration porn is essentially this: "the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability".
Our society praises people with disabilities as "heroes" or "inspiration" whenever they do a menial task. In a link I'll share, Stella Young, a disabled teacher, talks about how by praising those who are disabled, you are actually making them "lesser" or not equal to people who are considered normal in society. Something as simple as painting a picture or even speaking to a crowd is met with applause when a person who is disabled does it.
And yes, you might be thinking, "Well, they are disabled. It is harder for them to do certain tasks". And, you are totally right. But for them, it is normal life. Being in a wheelchair or not being able to speak is normal life to them. So, praising them for doing something that is deemed "normal" for them and maybe not so "normal" for us is actually degrading.
I'm not an expert on this topic. But, I hope through the links I provide for you and even a short summary of what ableism and inspiration porn is, you will realize the stigma society has towards disabled people. They should and have to be seen as normal and not special. I really urge you guys to check out the TED talk and the other links below. Stay safe and have a great rest of your week!
Links:
Ted Talk: <https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much?language=en>
What is Ableism:
Unboxing Ableism: