SO. My main topic this week will be on the ever-present, sadly not really talked about topic of disability. Having a disability is actually more common then one may think. For example, do you wear glasses or contacts? if yes, you are disabled without these objects and are therefore visually impaired. And other disabilities may not even appear to the outside view. Do you have a mental health diagnosis or issue then you also have a disability. However, disability or being impaired is not a negative concept. Sadly, the word disability has a negative connotation but today I am here to demonstrate that a disability does not have to impare you in everyday life. And to show my point I studied the show Speechless in order to show that disability in television can be viewed in a positive light.
First a few keys, disjuncture is the concept that a person with a disability is disjunctured or on the outskirts of society. Secondly, inspiration porn means that a is labeling a person with disabilities as inspirational based only or partly on the their disability. Thirdly that AAC's are Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices.
The most famous show today about a person with disabilities is Speechless. Speechless appears on ABC and is featured by the Atlantic in their article titled, “ABC’s ‘Speechless’ is Breaking New Ground on Television By Centering a Character with Disabilities”. The Atlantic quotes that Speechless, “became one of the most important shows about disability in the history of television” (2). This quote is interesting and important because the child who plays the main character does have cerebral palsy, but to less of an affect then his on TV character entails. This helps the case of Speechless in being less about inspirational porn and being more about the life of a non-verbal disabled individual. The Atlantic article continues with the point that Speechless is revolutionary because about 95% of people who are shown as disabled on television are not actually disabled, which leads to the conclusion of inspiration porn. Therefore, I do agree with the Atlantic saying that Speechless is one of the most important shows in television history because it has the potential to highlight what a disabled person actually goes through and that can be channeld through the main actor and the actors around him. The Atlantic also, goes on to talk about how the visibility of the disability can speak volumes. To explain in order to advocate for a disability it must be visible and known to the general public. Therefore, there is truth to the fact that seeing a disabled person on television does speak volumes. For example, Eva Sweeney who did not use AAC’s and she has cerebral palsy is a consultant on the show and having the specific input from her is vital to the whole operation of the show, because it is real and factual input from a reliable source on the subject of disability and cerebral palsy.
Basically, the show Speechless on ABC shows that disability is real and commonplace and it is not something to glance over. Disability is real and in everyday life and person with a disability also has an everyday life that deserves to be showcased.
