Let me start this off by saying that this is not a post slagging off the Paralympics. The athletes that partake in the games are absolutely amazing and I tip my hat (I’m not wearing a hat, but let’s pretend I am) to all of them. My problem is with the media and how Paralympians are portrayed in contrast to those disabled people, including myself, that could never enter the Paralympics. Furthermore, I’m not bitter or jealous, but I know there’ll be the odd person reading this thinking the contrary; I can assure you, I’m very happy with my non-athletic life.
The media seem to love representing disabled people as one of two things; we’re either incredible athletes/achievers that can accomplish anything despite our condition/s, or we’re benefit scroungers. There’s absolutely no in between. The majority of my disabled friends don’t fit into any of those categories, I don’t fit into those categories, so where’s our voice? Disabled people are marginalised as it is, but us lot, those of us that don’t fit into the above two groups, we’re even further ostracised. I don’t want to be celebrated, I don’t do anything special but I want to be taken into consideration. There is more of us that aren’t athletes or scroungers who are completely forgotten about when it comes to the media. There’s so many of us that get by, that live a ‘normal’ (I hate that word) life, but are faced with daily challenges. Surely we shouldn’t be overlooked.
The whole ‘superhuman’ element to the Paralympics is so problematic in my opinion. Not only does it undermine the years of training and effort the Paralympians undergo by implying that disabled people must be godlike to be able to compete in the games, but it suggests that those disabled people that can’t participate in the Paralympics aren’t good enough. Why are disabled people constantly othered? The Paralympian athletes aren’t just human, they’re superhuman? What does that make us that can’t compete, are we subhuman? Alien? Nothing?
As for the ‘Yes, I Can’ advert (link here) that is all over Channel 4 advertising Rio 2016 Paralympics, I have a few problems. It juxtaposes disabled athletes and disabled non-athletes; whilst suggesting to me that no matter what disability you have, if you have the determination, you can be a ‘superhuman’ Paralympian. This message worries me because it implies that if you can’t compete, like I can’t and many disabled friends of mine can’t, you’re a let-down, a failure, a disappointment. It’s basically insinuating that you’re simply not trying hard enough and you’re letting your disability control your life. Some people (including disabled people) get offended when a disabled person says that their disability ‘controls’ them; but the truth is, for most of us it does, and it’s not a negative thing. There’s a lot of things I can’t do because of my disability, there’s a lot of things I adapt so I can do, but this idea of ‘you can do anything if you’re determined enough’ needs to disappear. It’s about as helpful as being at the bottom of a flight of stairs in my wheelchair and determining myself to get up them – no, I can’t. It’s such an unrealistic message. Nobody can do everything.
You can’t tell me that the way disabled people are publicised doesn’t affect the opinion of some in society, otherwise there wouldn’t be ableism. I wouldn’t be constantly compared to another disabled person who is deemed to be achieving amazing things with their life. I wouldn’t be told to push through the pain because another wheelchair user who doesn’t have chronic pain can. I wouldn’t be told how I could be ‘an inspiration’ like disabled athletes if only I tried harder. But let’s not forget I’m told I’m ‘an inspiration’ almost weekly because I’m ‘so brave to leave my house alone in a wheelchair’ – inspiration porn at it’s finest. Anyway, what I’m getting at is no disability is the same, even if people have the same disability, they won’t have identical problems.
If there were ten people in wheelchairs lined up in a row, they won’t all be able to do the same thing. They might not all be in chronic pain (which is why I use a powerchair). Some might be able to walk. Some have never walked. Some might work full-time. Some unable to work at all. You can’t know. And by only having the above groupings I mentioned earlier, (amazing athletes/achievers vs scroungers) consistently referenced in the media, it makes those of us that don’t fit into those groups suffer. Suffer negativity from family/friends/strangers because unless they’re really screwed on (and/or actually care about you) they presume if we’re not ‘superhuman’ we must be scrounging off the government. Each person deals with their disability differently, and if you can tackle a massive competition like the Paralympics or work a forty hour a week job, massive props to you, but not everybody with a disability can. And that’s fine. It doesn’t make you a failure if you are simply getting by, and it certainly doesn’t make you less than human.
I live with chronic pain; not a day goes by where I’m not suffering but that’s my life – I’m not superhuman and I’m not a failure, I’m Sarah.
Sorcha MacK
Sorcha MacK
AjLoves
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
Tania
Tania
Lauren
Lauren
Gill
Gill
Unknown
Unknown
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
From Sarah Lex
Charlotte Issyvoo
From Sarah Lex