Images of Disability

My Top 10 Negative  Disability Images:


10. TIMMY (AND JIMMY)


(PORTRAYED AS INARTICULATE MONSTERS.)
9. JOE


(OBJECT OF DEGRADATION.)
8. JOKER


(HOPELESSLY VIOLENT PSYCHOTIC.)
7. THE SECRET GARDEN


(CURED BY MAGIC.)
6. PUMPKIN


(2007; Magic sorority girl inspires “retarded” guy named “Pumpkin” to walk out of love.)







5. MILLION DOLLAR BABY


(EUTHANIZED AFTER PARALYSIS.)
4. SPECIAL ED


(ONLY EVER SAID “YAY.”; IMBECILIC)







3. TINY TIM


(WEAK; OBJECT OF SYMPATHY SYMBOLIZING ABLE-BODIED PURITY.)

2.CHRISTOPHER REEVE


("I've noticed that there are very few roles for people in chairs... I would like to see people with disabilities featured sympathetically.")





1. JERRY’S KIDS


(Cure muscular dystrophy; don’t give it meaning.)



My Top 10 Positive Disability Images:

10. Daredevil (Marvel)


(Blind crime fighter.)

9. Forest Gump


(Symbolized American history; mentally disabled.)


8. Rory O’Shea (From Rory O’Shea Was Here.)


(British “punk” who lives independently with MD; depicts independent living well.)

7. John Nash (A Beautiful Mind.)


(Successful economist living with schizophrenia.)
6. Christie Brown (My Left Foot.)


(Successful artist with cerebral palsy.)







5. Geordi La Forge (Star Trek: The Next Generation.)


(Blind Chief Engineer in Star Trek: The Next Generation.)
4. Rain Man


(Well-rounded depiction of life with autism; neither too sentimental nor harsh.)




3. Deadpool (Marvel)


(Schizophrenic super ninja with regenerative powers.)
2. Homer


(Author of The Odyssey epic; father of Western civilization’s poetry; blind.)






1. Professor X (Marvel)

 
(Physically disabled founder of The X-men; powerful psychic mutant.)

MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY IS STILL OVERWHELMINGLY NEGATIVE. Many of the positive images to me, are within the sci-fi genre. Images to add? Debate welcome.