Dory from “Finding Nemo” is Pixar’s first disabled character by having short-term memory loss. Having this disability was an important part of the plot, having her lead Marlin to her son, Nemo (who happened to be faking his death when he and Marlin were reunited. Oops). But, the disability wasn’t the focus. However, the long-awaited sequel, “Finding Dory” did have her disability as a focus of the whole movie. I have cerebral palsy and I immediately related to Dory when the movie began.

The first shot of the movie is the reveal of the adorable, irresistible baby Dory with her big eyes, looking at her parents. Her parents, Charlie and Jenny are teaching Dory how to explain her disability with other kids. Dory practices, “Hi, I’m Dory and I have short-term memory loss.” Her parents praise her and then role-play with Dory, pretending to be other kids. This part of the movie is seen as a clip here. When I was a little kid, my mom would always practiced explaining my cerebral palsy with me. I vaguely remember it, but I remember my mom helping me pronounce “cerebral palsy.” The funny thing is that I never had to explain my cerebral palsy until this year. I was an intern at a children’s museum and my kids questioned my voice and my small right hand. So, then I had to explain cerebral palsy to them.

A really big way how Dory’s disability stood out to me in the movie is how her peers interact with her, especially Marlin and Hank the Octopus. In one scene, Nemo suffers from a minor injury after a squid attacks Dory, Marlin, and Nemo. As Dory tries to help, Marlin calls her out. I forget the line (and surprisingly can’t find it), but the line goes something like “You helped enough” or “Why did you drag us into this?” or “You and your memory.” Hank also calls out her disability, saying things in the lines of “I don’t care about your short-term memory. I don’t want to help you.” The scene with Marlin especially hits home for me. With my cerebral palsy, I do feel like a nuisance a lot, especially with my family. My siblings have to drive me to play rehearsals, job/internship interviews, movie theaters etc., and they need to take out their personal time for me. Like Marlin and Hank, my mom and my siblings do get mad at me over my transportation issues, especially in these difficult times with my dad being in and out the hospital throughout this whole year. On the other hand, Nemo loves her disability. He knows that Dory’s disability isn’t her fault and goes along with it. In fact, he rather celebrates Dory and how her disability contributes to who she is. In one scene when Marlin and Nemo were stuck in an obstacle, Nemo thinks “What would Dory do?” and they both act like Dory in the obstacle (having fun before logic) and they achieve the goal.

Lastly, in a memory/flashback, it shows Jenny (again, Dory’s mother) crying over Dory and how her short-term memory will affect her life. This is relatable to parents of disabled children who are heartbroken and scared for them, including my parents. When I was supposed to do the Disney College Program in 2014, my parents were freaking out. They were worried about where I’ll live, how I’ll eat, how I’ll work, how I’ll deal with the heat etc. They were strict with the disability coordinators, telling them that I need to be inside, be in a wheelchair, have a walk-off shower etc. My mother even applied to a job at Disney World to be with me. Today, my mom talks about her fears of my life and how my disability will affect me.

The main thing is how Dory conquered her disability while journeying to the unknown. She did the impossible, traveling across the sea and land to find her parents (no spoilers here). And the best of all is that she didn’t let the disability stopped her nor did she care about it. She just went on with her life and made it happen. In a year with a movie called “Me Before You,” having the disabled character commit suicide at the end of the movie because of the disability, this is very needed. It especially empowers little kids who have some type of disability and through Dory, they will know that they can do anything despite their disability. Even traveling miles away from home and living their lives. Thank you, Disney for finally making a character that I can connect with and making it my own. Keep ‘em coming!