Writing Disability

Representing Disability Storylines

Summary

Representation is important. Disability is a part of the extensive array of human diversity, and a natural part existence for many people.

When Writing Disability...

• Do not make a character solely the negative aspects of their disability
  • People with disabilities are just that, people. With both positive and negative aspects of their lives
  • Disability contains a wide array of different conditions
    • Many of those conditions have positive aspects, like deafness and the Deaf Community
    • Even if the disability aspect of someone's life is primarily a negative experience, that does not make the entirety of their life a negative experience


• Do not write characters that fake or exaggerate their disability
  • Faking disability is very rare and a harmful stereotype to the community
  • People with dynamic disabilities, for example people who need a wheelchair some days and a cane other days, are not faking or exaggerating their disability


• Make sure to research the disability experience you are writing about
  • Do not just research the experience of those who interact with those who have the disability (ex. caretakers and doctors)
  • Disability intersects with several other cultural and minority experiences, so make sure your research is intersectional and represents the people you are writing about

Why?

Disability is not rare, and is an important part of human diversity. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 US citizens has a disability. Writing accurate and complex characters with disabilities is not a charitable or heroic act, it simply reflects the world we live in.

That being said, disability is often miss or under represented in media. Disability should not be an afterthought or plot device.

Some examples of harmful stereotypes include... (Click to expand)

• Someone faking a disability for personal gain
  • This is an incredibly harmful stereotype. Faking disability is incredibly rare, being accused of faking your disability is incredibly common


• Someone overcomes or is healed of their disability just in time to save the day or inspire the main character


• Mobility aides (like wheelchairs and canes) or other assistive technology are negative and should only be used as a last resort
  • Mobility aides can allow someone to more fully interact with the world
  • Some people need different mobility aides depending on their symptoms. This does not invalidate their disability experience
  • AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) is just as valid as any other way of communicating
  • There is no "right" way to interact with the world around you


• Someone with a disability cannot be a good parent or should not have biological children
  • Deciding that a group of people are unfit to have or adopt children is eugenics
  • Children of parents with disabilities and parents with disabilities themselves are often underrepresented


• All people with disabilities are desperate for a cure
  • While a cure can be desired by some people with disabilities, a cure and the search for a cure can be worse than the negative aspects of the disability itself
  • Some people with disabilities do not want a cure at all, even if one was easy to obtain
  • If you do "fix" a disability, how does that impact the person? What are the negative aspects of the "fix"? What do you have to do to maintain it? There should be no such thing as a perfect "fix"


• People with disabilities are either angelic and overwhelmingly good, or sinister and overwhelmingly evil
  • People are complex beings, and that includes people with disabilities
  • No one is constantly forgiving, passive, and kind. People with disabilities should be allowed to be annoyed, jealous, rude, and other negative emotions
  • On the flip side, no one is only evil, sinister, and sadistic. People with disabilities are just as complex as everyone else, and are not inherently evil because of their disability. This especially applies to those born with disabilities


• Disability is a mystical punishment, sign of misfortune, or burden on the community

How?

Disability Etiquette

Just like there is no right way to define disability, there is no right way to discuss disability. Some people prefer person first language: "people with disabilities". Other people prefer identity first language: "disabled people". That being said, it is generally offensive to say "the disabled".

So how can you tell what's personal preference, what's generally accepted, and what's dependent on the individual disability?

Research!

Some rules of researching... (Click to expand)

• Listen to the people who have a specific disability, not the people around them (ex. caregivers, family members, doctors)
  • How a disability impacts the people around the disabled person is not as important as how the disability impacts the disabled person
  • Listening is important, believing the people you are listening to is even more important. You are here to amplify voices, not speak over them


• Listen to people from diverse backgrounds when learning about a specific disability
  • Disability can be impacted by a variety of factors. This includes ethnicity, religion, gender and gender presentation, sexual orientation, age, and income level.
  • Certain groups are more often to be demonized or shown to be incapable because of their disability. Make sure you are not accidentally playing into racial, gender, religious, or income stereotypes


• Fact check all information, especially from organizations who are dedicated to eradicating a disability
  • Is the organization led by people who have that disability?
  • Where does the money go to that this organization raises?
  • Does their narrative match the narrative of most people with that disability?
  • Are they trying to bring awareness? Acceptance? Prevention? Removal of individuals from society?

Some general rules... (Click to expand)

• Disability is not a taboo conversation. That being said...
  • Do not ask intrusive questions to strangers
  • Do not ask for proof of someone's disability status or medical history
  • Do not assume someone's disability status. Do not assume someone's ability to do something based on their disability status. In fact, try to assume nothing


• No euphemisms for disability
  • Very few people prefer being called "special needs", "handi-capable", "differently abled", or other euphemisms
  • Disability is not a bad word


• Disabled adults are not children, they are adults with a disabilty
  • Do not infantilize people with disabilities
  • Having different needs than an abled adult does not suddenly make a disabled adult a child again


• People with disabilities are not inspiring for existing or "overcoming their disability" when they do things
  • Overcoming your disability is a harmful narrative that makes it seem like a disability is inherently negative and something that needs to be fought
  • You do not do something "despite" your disability, you do something "with" your disability
  • "Inspiration porn" is not disability representation, because it is not for those with disabilities

Outside Resources

• Authentic portrayals of people with disabilities
• Inclusive Language
• A Quick Style Guide for Writing Disability-Focused Content