disability as a narrative device2014

8/10/2019 Disability as a Narrative Device2014

1/21

Since last class, I have been

A. Noticing the ways people use language about

disability.

B. Noticing the ways in which the media

portrays people with disabilities.

C. Noticing people with disabilities around me.

D. Thinking about what I already know aboutdisability and how I know it.


2/21

Plan for the day

3:00-4:00ish, Lecture

4:00-4:15ish, Break

4:15-5:45ish, Film When Billy Broke His Headand Other Tales of Wonder and Feedback


3/21

Main Points from Introductory Lecture

The phenomenon of Disability can be understood through aMedical Model or a Social Model

The social model laid the groundwork for federal protected

minority status and civil rights legislation.

The social model allows us to think about how disability isconstructed socially, politically, culturally, etc.

Language to describe disability is an example of how the

meaning of disability is a constantly changing construct.

Today: One of the ways disability is culturally constructed isthrough narrative (stories across media, including film).

Representations of disability almost always serve a narrative

function. These narratives contribute to understandings of

disability in actual life.


4/21

Disability as a Narrative Device

How do we study representations of

disability?

What are the primary ways that disabled

characters are represented?

Where are actual disabled actors in film?


5/21

How do we study representations of

disability?

In this class, through the lens of DisabilityStudies.

The academic arm of the disability civil rightsmovement.

Shifts exploration of disability from medicalmodel to the social construction model.

Considers disability a human experience, part

of what it means to be human.

Is Interdisciplinary: grounded in theHumanities & Social Sciences.


6/21

Studies the dynamics of Ableism (aka

disability oppression, or the way in which

the world is organized around nondisabled

adults of average height and weight)

Supports social justice and increases power

for disabled people.

Does not individualize, marginalize, pathologize,essentialize, medicalize, exclude, or segregate

Supports self-determination, self-definition

Disability Studies, cont.


7/21


8/21

Involves disabled people as producers ofknowledge, not just its objects (NothingAbout Us Without Us)

Studies the history and contemporary issuesof actual disabled people, our institutions,sub-cultural values

Studies mainstream and sub-cultural artistic

representations of disability (metaphors,symbolism, political, etc.), historical andcontemporary

Disability Studies, cont.


9/21

What are the primary ways that disabled

characters are represented?

Screening Stereotypes by Paul Longmore: adisability historian, activist, one of the first to look at

the social construction of disability in the media

First published in 1985

Hundreds of disabled characters, but we overlook

their prevalence and frequent presence

Television and film supply quick and simple solutions

to complex problems of disability (for nondisabledand disabled)

Popular entertainment alludes to the dominant

cultures fears and prejudices, reassure us about

ourselves


10/21


11/21

Which disability stereotype are you

most familiar with?

A. Evil doer or monster

B. Maladjusted disabled person

C. Gifted, or spiritually superiorD. I never noticed these stereotypes before


12/21

Narrative Prosthesis and the Dependencies

of Discourse by David Mitchell and Sharon Snyder (2001)

From identification of stereotype to how disability actually

functions as a pervasive narrative device

Narrative dependson disability as something out of place

Disability represents a metaphorical problem to be solvedby the narrative

Disability becomes the metaphorical embodiment of a social

problem.

Disability gives the metaphor flesh Narrative solves this metaphorical problem by solving the

problem of disability through death, censure, resignification


13/21

Why do stereotypes and narrative

prosthesis matter? The stories about disability and disabled people

become far removed from the actual lives of disabled

people.

They distract audiences away from the real problemspeople with disabilities face (like prejudice,

discrimination, lack of resources, poor public policy)

Disability becomes laden with meaning, so that

stories about disability become formulaic.

Actual disabled artists are sidelined from

conversations about disability.


14/21

Where are Actual Disabled Actors in

Film?


15/21

Disabled People as Viewers

People with disabilities face barriers asviewers

inaccessible buildings

lack of captioning and narrative description the technology to use such accommodations

Stories told in film dont reflect the lived

experience of disability; they tend to fall intopredictable stereotypes


16/21

Access to the profession

Barriers to careers in film include: Structural : buildings, theatres, rehearsal halls, audience spaces

Communication: lack of access to ASL, captioning, Braille,censorship

Transportation: lack of affordable, reliable, and flexibletransportation for artists and audiences

Technological: assistive technology not always available forartists or audiences

Stamina: long and erratic hours not suited to many pwds

Economic issues: lack of access to health insurance, personalassistants, art-making materials


17/21

Education/Development

At each step in arts career development (aspirations formal training career) people with disabilities face

low expectations

lack of access

discrimination

Professional training is essential but discriminatory

admission practices and lack of accommodation still exclude

many.


18/21

Attitudinal

Limited roles available for people with disabilities

The roles available for disabled performers often

contribute to negative attitudes about people with

disabilities, making them unattractive to disabled

actors.


19/21

Im back from break

A. And Im ready to watch the film

B. And Im still hungry

C. Wait! I forgot to pee!


20/21

When Billy Broke His Head and

Other Tales of Wonder (1995) One of the first

documentaries post-ADA by

a disabled artist

Lays out issues faced by the

disability community

One of the first film to show

disabled people in

community

See tensions between the

medical and social models

Critically acclaimed


21/21

I stayed for the whole film

A. I earned my participation points!

B. I am beginning to see how the everyday

issues people with disabilities face are

complicated by media representations.

C. I am interested in how disabled people are

using media to combat mainstream media

representations.

disability as a narrative device2014

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