I have a disability! To learn more about my disability you can read this other article I wrote here. But, because I have a disability I am very passionate about disability rights and similar things.

So that leads me to what I am going to talk about today, inspiration porn. This is not your typical porn involving naked bodies, but is a term that was coined by Stella Young in 2012. It describes when people with disabilities are called inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability.

Here is an example of inspiration porn:

This girl here is simply drawing a picture. Something that all toddlers do, however, this picture implies that it is an extraordinary thing to do. This picture is made for 'typical' people to feel inspired. In doing this it exploits those with disabilities to inspire 'typical' people.

Inspirational porn further perpetuates the idea that people with disabilities are special just for doing everyday activities.

I have experienced this phenomenon first hand with forensics. My freshman year I had a speech that talked about my disability. I would have other competitors come to me in the hallway after a round telling me how inspiring I was to them. I would ask why and they would tell me I was inspiring because I was doing speech and debate. These people did the same thing as me! They just thought I was inspiring because I have a disability.

It's weird to me because I have never really thought of myself as disabled. In high school I discovered that there was an International Essential Tremor Foundation, I remember perusing the website and looking at the t-shirts and awareness bracelets and other things that they had. It took weeks before I showed my mom and asked her to get me an awareness bracelet.

I think we both were shocked, because neither of us really thought I was abnormal. But to have a foundation named after your disease suddenly makes things not normal. That is when I realized nobody would see me as normal.

I was not made to inspire you. I might have to work a little harder or work a little more creatively to get to the same point as you. But, that doesn't make it special.