In the essay “Disability”, writer, public speaker, and self-acclaimed “radical feminist, pacifist, and cripple” Nancy Mairs examines how the general public responds to individuals with disabilities as well as how the media portrays these aforementioned individuals (Mairs 12). She begins her essay by describing herself as a crippled woman with multiple sclerosis, speaking about her condition, and stating that she has never noticed a cripple woman like herself in the media. When the media does portray someone with multiple sclerosis- or a like disability, it’s focused almost entirely on the disability rather than the person’s character, indicating that their condition “devour[s] one wholly” (Mairs 12). Despite the fact that such disabilities…
1.1 Explain the importance of recognising the centrality of the individual rather than the disability.Words are critical in shaping ideas, perceptions and attitudes. They can be used to reinforce existing prejudices or to liberate people from stereotypes, prejudices and misconceptions. If anyone doubts the value of this or the potential for relatively rapid change, consider the distaste with which we all now view the word “nigger”. None of us would dream of using it. Yet only a generation or two ago it was an internationally acceptable and widely used term for the individual people of an entire ethnic group in the USA; not just in use orally, it also appeared in book titles. In more recent times the Australian word “abo” to describe an aboriginal or indigenous person is considered offensive by most people and is dropping out of use. The moral Language changes, and we are capable of giving it a nudge in the right direction - even if we run the risk of being considered “politically correct” by some people or sometimes require a few extra words to make our communication acceptable. In the context of disability, negative and patronising language produces, predictably, negative and patronising images and attitudes. Words in popular use mirror attitudes in society and by changing the words we can begin to change those attitudes. Those attitudes are often the most difficult barriers…
In her essay “Disability as a New Frontier for Feminist Intersectionality Research,” Nancy Hirschmann argues that feminism’s approaches (for the purpose of what we might assume to be understanding forms of systematic oppression (Hankivsky, 2011)) have been limited, mainly due to the conceptualizations of intersections and actual application of intersectionality in feminist work (Hirschmann, 2012). Disability studies, she asserts, can enrich feminist analyses because understanding the intersectionality between disability, gender and sexuality demands the development of more complicated conceptions of intersectionality. Intersectionality in disability studies recognizes both the differences and the connections within and between groups, therefore…
Someone who is crippled often receives pity and sympathy from others, but do cripples always want this? In this passage entitled “On Being a Cripple,” Nancy Mairs uses interesting word choice, repetition, and a sarcastic tone to touch upon a subject that most mature non-crippled Americans are not entirely comfortable with; using the so widely feared word “cripple” instead of the common “handicapped” or “disabled” to be polite or politically correct. Elaborating to a society, so infatuated with being politically correct, that using a word considered derogatory to most may be necessary according to exact definition is Mairs’s purpose in writing this passage.…
“Here is my troubled body, dreaming myself into life: a guttering candle in a mound of melted wax, or a bruised pear, ripe beyond palatability, ready for the compost heap” (Mairs). Nancy Mairs is a shining example of how mentally strong and passionate a person with an extreme physical disability can be. She refuses to indulge in the societies way of feeling sorry for those who are unfortunate, as in her case. Mairs is an independent individualist who refuses to seek refuge for her "crippled" body. She is accompanied by a just as strong husband/caretaker who goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to taking care of his spouse.…
Nancy Mairs's essay “Disability from Carnival Acts describes how the speaker, Nancy Mairs, lives every day with a disability. She reveals her view on the handicap and disabled. Nancy Mairs has multiple sclerosis, weakening of the bones, and she feels as if she is being judged and is inferior to everyone else. The audience is definitely aware of how she feels. She is very blunt about her feelings and everything else. She wants to make a stand for all the disabled people. The essay displays desperation, as well as hope. She is desperate to be equal and to no be judged; She has hope that one day all handicap will be equal. Nancy Mairs is a true symbol of how handicap people can persevere, stand through anything, and triumph over adversity. She lives a competent life filled with judgmental people looking at her poorly, simply because of her disability.…
In her essay “On Being a Cripple”, Nancy Mairs presents her audience with an honest inside view of her life and perspective as a cripple, a word she openly uses to define herself. She brings her world to us by discussing a wide variety of things including language, family, and humor, and how these all relate to her life. Through various stories and insights, she allows her readers to gain an understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. She examines the public’s view of the disabled, as well as the views they have of themselves, and compares them to her own. She makes it clear that she is not to be defined solely by her disability. In discussing honestly her views, as well as through humor, Mairs opens up her essay to a wide audience. Not only does she reach out to the general population, but also allows others in her situation to consider themselves.…
Author of disability Nancy Mairs who’s a feminist and a cripple, has accomplished a lot in writing and teaching. Her remarkable personality shows in many of her essays especially in Disability which was first published in 1987 in the New York Times. In this essay, Nancy Mairs shows how disabled people are constantly excluded, especially from the media. By giving out facts and including her personal experiences, Mairs aims for making some changes regarding the relationship between the media and people with disabilities. Mairs thesis is shown implicitly in the first and last paragraphs. Her main goal is to show everyone that people with disabilities are just like everybody else and they should be included and accepted in all daily activities. By using irony, intensity, humor and self-revelations, Nancy Mairs succeeds to get her message through.…
In the 1970’s and 1980’s a civil rights based approach was developed by disabled people. Buildings were built in such a way that there was no access for wheelchairs. Information was produced in a way that disabled people could not use. Attitudes and stereotypes about a disabled person prohibited a disabled person from having the same opportunities as an able bodied person. Special services…
Society comprises individuals and communities of remarkable diversity. In addition to racial, ethnic, social, economic, and religious differences, people also have physical differences, which include a wide spectrum of abilities. Along this spectrum lie a range of impairments, or disabilities, and to fully understand the implications of impairment and disability, it is important to define the two terms. In an effort to accomplish this, and to illustrate two opposing views on impairment and disability, the ideas of artist-activist Liz Crow and film director-producer Josh Aronson will be examined. In doing so, the argument will be made that in order to move toward a society where prejudice and barriers no longer…
As racism, discrimination and prejudice against citizen with mental disabilities has been a part of our culture for many decades, it seems as we have found peace with all of this after many years. During the early nineteenth and twentieth century people where not at peace with citizens with mental disabilities, for they were being mistreated and institutionalized for having mental disorders. Many did not see people with mental disabilities as equal citizens, or even helpful to the community even though they were just as equal as everyone else. They were discriminated on badly during the 1950’s and 60’s just as much as African Americans were. Unlike back then, today this would be frowned upon not including citizens with mental disabilities. Although in To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee highlights how there is prejudice going on against people born with mental disabilities, her purpose for writing this show the social norms, and the cultural context during the time period of the novel taking place with such a strong hidden message for citizens.…
In the media today, people with disabilities are perceived as tragic heroes or as medical miracles. They are rarely seen for their intelligence or for their accomplishments excluding their overcoming disability hardships. The textbook, Everything’s an Argument, contains an excerpt from Charles A. Riley II 's book “Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change.” Riley, a journalism professor at New York’s Baruch College, uses appeal to ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience that their methods of portraying disabled people are in dire need of change.…
"Society's accumulated myths and fears about disability and disease are as handicapping as are the physical limitations that flow from actual impairment." Society makes generalizations and stereotypes about the disabled and the disease stricken. Society as a whole has the belief that they are less of a person because of something they cannot change about themselves. Society places the disabled in a category by themselves, as an outcast from modern civilization. We think that if we include the disables in everyday activities we could all one day become the same.…
While all this was taking place, the shift became apparent into the early 50’s . The country had fought a lot of wars, and this affected the shift of people’s recognition of people that had disabilities. For example, after the revolutionary war, congress helped states care for the disabled soldiers. Wars such as the civil war, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War reflected changes in how people with disabilities were viewed. Two major movement’s changed disability policy after WW II, the parent’s movement and the civil rights movement. “Public attitudes began to change when the definition of disability shifted from a medical model/functional limitation model, to a perspective that…
Fleischer, Zames Doris, Zames, Frieda The Disability Rights Movement: From Charity to Confrontation. Temple University Press 2011…