Mainstream media outlets routinely butcher stories about disability. I never cease to be amazed how disability based discrimination gets glossed over and turned into a feel good story or what many call inspiration porn. In 2012 video, comedian Stella Young brilliantly deconstructed inspiration porn. She defined Inspiration porn as follows:
Inspiration porn is an image of a person with a disability, often a kid, doing something completely ordinary--like playing, or talking, or running--carrying a caption like 'your excuse is invalid'... It's there so that non-disabled people can look at us and think 'Well, it could be worse... I could be that person'.
The spring is filled with dehumanizing inspiration porn. The paralyzed young man who uses an exoskeleton to walk across a stage to receive his diploma. The crowd cheers wildly. Stories abound about paralyzed wives, paralyzed moms, paralyzed dads, and people with a disability doing something, anything really, and people fawn all over them as though they are heroes. Stories also abound about non-disabled people doing something nice with a disabled person. Ordinary events like lunch, going to a baseball game, getting in or out of a car, shopping, traveling on a bus or train, etc are turned into inspiring events. In this video age such inspiration porn inevitably ends up on You Tube and major news outlets. They are used as 30 to 60 second clips at the end of a broadcast designed to make non disabled people good about themselves and the world. Comment sections under such stories all gush about how inspired they are.
I have deconstructed many inspiration porn stories on my blog. The reaction is always the same--non disabled people get angry and a hate emails fill my mailbox. Pouring a dose of reality on a supposedly tear jerking story is not the way to become popular. Indeed, I am weary of deconstructing inspiration porn because the negative reaction is swift and immediate. In post a post factual society, one replete with "alternative facts", pointing out that there is nothing real going on in inspiration porn stories is a sure fire way to alienate people. Living up to my moniker bad cripple, today, I cannot let an inspiration porn story go without comment in part because I was taken to task on twitter.
ABC and many other mainstream news outlets had stories about an incident in Michigan. Apparently Angela Peters went to a nail salon to get her nails done. Peters has a disability and it is difficult to hold her hands still. Peters was told by the nail salon that it would be too difficult to do her nails and she was refused service. An employ of a nearby Walmart, Ebony Harris, who knew Peters decided to help her. Together, Harris and Peters picked out a colorful nail polish, went to a nearby Subway seating area. There Harris set up a DIY nail set up and did Peters nails. Tasia Smith who works at Subway saw what was going on and took photographs and of Harris doing Peters nails. An essential component of inspiration porn is the non disabled person must be humble. Harris told reporters that she gave up her break to do Peters nails. Harris simply wanted to make the day special for Peters and did not want her day to be ruined. While doing Peters nails Peters apologized for her hand movements. In reply, Harris stated she was nervous too because she did not want to mess up Peters nails. Smith who took the photographs posted them on Facebook and the images went viral. Smith wrote "She did great, barely moved & was just so sweet. It's an absolute shame that they denied her for something so little". Harris has been predictably humble telling various news outlets, "I love it and it hit my soul in a very deep place. It makes me feel good, but its very overwhelming". Walmart seized on this opportunity and issued a press release stating:
Ebony simply wanted to make sure our customer's day was special, and that's the kind of person she is--someone with a wonderful attitude who goes the extra mile each day to make those around her feel important. We're not surprised at her act of kindness. Her service to customers defines the spirit of Walmart and we couldn't be more proud.
Another key component of inspiration porn is for the disabled person to be utterly silent or as humble as the non disabled "helper" being lauded. Thus news outlets were quick to point out that Harris and Peters goal was to raise awareness for people with disabilities. They did not want the nail salon to be punished or others to boycott the salon. Peters told ABC news:
I forgive the nail people for not doing my nails. When people do us wrong we must forgive, if not we harbor bitterness. I don't want anyone fired, I just want to educate people that people with different challenges like being in a wheelchair, we can have our own business and get our nails done like anyone else.
Harris agreed with Peters and told ABC news: "We want people to look at the positive side of the story, that there are a lot of good people out there".
The above story is an absolute text book example of inspiration porn. The reality of what actually took place is not inspiring. The nail salon flagrantly violated the law. Peters could and should have filed a formal complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Department of Justice. Peters civil rights were violated. The fact Walmart used its public relations department to disseminate the story to all the major news outlets is not mentioned. The fact people with a disability are routinely turned away from nail salons, hotels, motels, airlines, restaurants, museums, mass transit systems, housing, schools, universities, and denied services in every state of the nation is also not mentioned. The word ableism remains unknown for this reason. Peters wants others to be educated and enlightened about disability. Good luck with that. All the education in the world will not eliminate disability based bigotry. Education was not the reason 40 years of progressive legislation designed to empower people was passed into law. Civil disobedience and protests that shamed others led law makers to write laws that protect the rights of people with a disability. When I read Peters comments about forgiveness and bitterness I was repulsed. As a person with a disability if I have learned one thing it is that being nice and being quick to forgive others will insure our constructed environment will remain grossly inaccessible now and forever. As Stella Young noted in her talk about inspiration porn all the longing looks in the world will not make a staircase go away and get an elevator installed to provide equal access.
Equal access. Equal rights. This is the lost story. As I see it we have moved into a new era of disability rights. Those of rabble rousing age grew up in post ADA America. As people with a disability came of age they knew lots of laws existed regarding disability. Most people agreed the laws about access and equal rights should be adhered to. Out right bigotry of the sort I experienced has morphed into a formulaic politeness. Heads nod that any and all "reasonable accommodations" should be made. The problem is those accommodations can take years to get. Need a note taker in your class? Fill out these forms, see a physician to see if you qualify, talk to the ADA coordinator, disability services, and your professor, and hopefully by the end of the semester a note taker will be found. Worse, virtually no people with a disability are in positions of power hence a "reasonable accommodation" will be decided by a person that is almost certainly non disabled and most likely knows nothing about disability. Add in "reasonable accommodations" are resented and seen as some sort of scam and an underlying hostility exists in most institutions. Here in Colorado for example I have worn out the rug to my physician office with all the forms required by the state. Such forms must also be filled out to perfection. No blue ink. Ink must be black. Form rejected. None of this includes the time and labor involved. For example, I was in the Department of Motor Vehicles for over 5 hours getting license plates. I get to do this all over again to get a handicapped placard.
After thinking about the story above, I have concluded to be valued as a human being one must be able in the extreme. By able I mean young, active, absent any sort of disability, fit (not obese), employed, and preferably attractive, white and heterosexual. Based on my drive across the nation and the hatred being spewed out by the GOP on a daily basis, I can only conclude intersectionality is bad. Difference is feared and I sure as hell am different. As a society we are not merely regressing but taking giant strides backwards. Unlike Peters who is eagerly willing to forgive others who violate her civil rights, I feel like am a throwback to a time gone by. I stand up for my civil rights. When people violate my rights I get angry. I do not meekly do as I am told. I am willing to point out disability based injustice. I am willing to upset others. None of this is easy. As noted above, I live up to my moniker.
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