Are you guilty of “inspiration porn”?
Inspiration porn is everywhere. It is a form of unconscious bias that hurts people with disabilities
Inspiration porn is portraying people with disabilities as:
- inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability, or
- One-dimensional saints who only exist to warm the hearts and open the minds of able-bodied people
Stella Young coined the phrase “inspiration porn” in material leading up to her stereotype-shattering TED talk, “I’m not your inspiration thank you very much” Inspiration porn is disrespectful to people with disabilities, bordering on the offensive. Here’s how.
Feel-good stories
Examples: The guys from Home Depot that made the walker? The high school robotics team that made the electric wheelchair? Johnny raised $200 with his lemonade stand for cancer research? Suzie shaved her head in solidarity with her friend with leukemia?
With every feel good story there is a hidden truth — the story you should actually be evaluating
- Why the hell can’t the kids get the walker or wheelchair — a mobility device they need to fully participate in society? The story should be about what is wrong with our insurance companies.
