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Inspiration stories in the media/society
The TV show “Speechless” defines “inspiration porn” as the “portrayal of people with disabilities as one-dimensional saints who only exist to warm the hearts and open the minds of able-bodied people.” The most recent story as the media tells it, is about Tanner Wilson, a regular teenager who was so inspired by his friend, Brandon Qualls, who has cerebral palsy. He saved and sacrificed his own money to buy that friend a wheelchair. But every person I know who needs a power wheelchair or any other expensive mobility device has struggled to get it.
Why isn’t the media reporting on all those battles and the disabled people and their loved ones fighting every day? If Brandon got a wheelchair through insurance, he should have received an evaluation with a physical therapist, who would have looked at his strengths and weaknesses, taken measurements, and helped choose a wheelchair with the right features for his needs. His seat would have been custom built with extra padding and other supports to reduce pain and prevent pressures sore and joint problems.
What do you think of these kind of stories? Have you ever been used as “inspiration porn”?
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1 Reply
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I think this post is very important because, from my perspective, there are two types of inspiration. One is this type of story where the main character, so to speak, is the person who is inspired by somebody with a disability. At least from my perspective, this is not what would inspire me as the reader or viewer. I’m glad the person was inspired enough to take action and do some good in society, but I think the stories that really inspire are about the people that have overcome challenges or disabilities to accomplish something that was not easily done. And I think society needs to really come to terms with what kind of world we want to live in. The number of people without disabilities or incurable or untreatable rare illnesses vastly exceeds the number of people who need something like a wheelchair or something other assistive technology or treatment to help them function at a higher level. We need to think about how we make that happen for everyone.
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