One of the continuing issues I address is inspiration porn, media that may seem to praise disabled people, but in reality objectifies and dehumanizes. I wrote on it recently here.
After it came out, Lydia Brown, one of my favorite writers, let me know that they also had a recent post about the “Down syndrome wrestling story,” which I gladly share. Must read! Their categories were a little different than mine (in part due to speaking broadly about the genre, whereas I focused most recently just on the slice of stories on teenagers with Down syndrome):
(1) Disabled person does something extremely extraordinary (climbs Mt. Everest, is elected to a country’s highest governing body, publishes New York Times bestseller, etc.), and it’s presented as inspiring because the person is disabled, and not because 99% of the total population (disabled and non-disabled) could have never achieved it.
(2) Disabled person does something pretty mundane for most people (graduates middle school, plays in a basketball game, bakes cookies, etc.), and it’s presented as inspiring because apparently disabled people are assumed to be incapable of doing … anything. At all. With or without adaptive equipment. With or without practice and instruction geared to their learning style.
(3) Non-disabled person does something not overtly negative or generally shitty to disabled person (doesn’t call them names, invites them to a birthday party or a prom, doesn’t discriminate against them during a job interview, etc.), and it’s presented as inspiring because LOOK AT THE MAGNANIMOUS, KIND-HEARTED (non-disabled) SAINT BEING NICE TO A PERSON SUFFERING FROM A DISABILITY. (*language intentional)
(Note there is often a racial component to these stories too: white disabled people and or white “helpers” present more easily accepted caricatures of saintly, angelic, heroic, courageous, inspirations.)
As always, read the whole thing!