Common Misperceptions about Disability — And Why It’s Important to Get It Right in Visual Culture
In honor of Invisible Disease Awareness Week, I would like to share some common misperceptions about disability — and why it’s important to get it right in visual culture.
If a disabled person uses a wheelchair, they cannot walk or stand
If a disabled person uses a wheelchair and they walk or stand, they must be faking it
If your legs “don’t work,” the rest of your body does not either
Disabled people need someone to speak for them
Disabled people need someone to make decisions for them
Disabled people are always sick or in pain
Disabled people do not contribute to society
Disabled people need a caretaker
Disabled people are suffering
Disabled people are victims of some terrible accident
People with physical disabilities are also intellectually disabled
People with disabilities would choose to be “normally” abled if they could
People with disabilities need to be “cured”
People with disabilities have a low level of education
People with disabilities are burdens to society
People with disabilities have the capacity to “push through or past” their symptoms to do more
It is okay to ask what is “wrong” with someone
Disabilities are always visible
If you use a walker, you must not be able to balance on your own
Doctors are always the experts on patient’s disabilities
These are some of the misperceptions that I have dealt with in my life, as have many others who experience discrimination on a daily basis. In today’s society, it is important to be mindful that all people are different. While we may come from varying backgrounds, with our own experiences and biases, unlearning prejudicial tendencies needs to take place before change can happen. Discrimination leads to segregation in social, educational, and professional settings. Unfortunately, all forms of media have long depicted people and characters according to the medical model of disability. For example, the disabled person falls in love or becomes friends with an abled-bodied person and now their life is suddenly whole and bright. When media objectifies disability through incorrect depictions, consumers are naively and negatively influenced.
