{"id":3838,"date":"2016-07-29T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2016-07-29T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/?p=3838"},"modified":"2020-12-08T10:53:01","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T10:53:01","slug":"wheelchair-users-in-fiction-examining-the-single-narrative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/2016\/07\/29\/wheelchair-users-in-fiction-examining-the-single-narrative\/","title":{"rendered":"Wheelchair Users in Fiction: Examining the Single Narrative"},"content":{"rendered":"
Introduction<\/h5>\n

Think about the last book, movie, or show you encountered with a wheelchair-using character. I\u2019m willing to bet the character acquired their disability in some sort of accident\/injury and that they used a manual wheelchair. If they were the protagonist \u2014 or even a prominent secondary character \u2014 their arc almost certainly involved adjusting to their new life.<\/p>\n

The overwhelming majority of narratives about wheelchair users follow this pattern. It\u2019s not a bad or harmful narrative in itself: many real people share those experiences, and they deserve to see themselves in stories as much as anyone else.<\/p>\n

The problem is that we don\u2019t also<\/em> get the narratives that reflect anyone else.<\/p>\n

Like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says in her oft-cited TED talk<\/a>, there\u2019s danger in a single narrative. But why is this particular narrative \u2014 the wheelchair user with acquired paraplegia \u2014 the dominant one? What does its dominance say about how we as writers and as a society view both wheelchair users specifically and disability generally?<\/p>\n

Throughout this piece I\u2019ll be discussing acquired and congenital disabilities as a binary for the sake of simplicity, but there are not always clear lines between the two, and they are certainly not mutually exclusive. It\u2019s also important to note that people often use \u201cacquired\u201d as short-hand for \u201cas the result of an accident,\u201d but there are also many other acquired conditions that could lead to wheelchair use, like certain infections or cancers. With some other conditions, like ALS or Multiple Sclerosis, there\u2019s a likely genetic component at play, arguably making those conditions congenital but late-developing. So someone might be an acquired wheelchair user with a congenital condition.<\/p>\n

Please also keep in mind that we obviously can\u2019t know the intent or thought processes that lead to every \u2014 or any \u2014 specific portrayal, but we can<\/em> discuss and challenge the various factors that might play into the prominence of this narrative and the absence of others.<\/p>\n

Why acquired over congenital?<\/h5>\n
    \n
  1. Upping the drama<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As writers, we look for and thrive on the drama in our stories. We\u2019re often drawn to ideas with the highest stakes, the most tension, and the juiciest conflict. What could be more dramatic than a tragic accident and the loss of one\u2019s ability to walk? It\u2019s the definition of a \u201cturning point\u201d for your character, and it automatically introduces a whole slew of physical and emotional challenges, which directly lead to plot.<\/p>\n

    Conversely, a congenital disability might seem \u2026 boring. If the character was born with the condition and using a wheelchair is simply a normal part of their life, where\u2019s the drama?<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Built-in journey<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Relatedly, an acquired disability comes with a built-in, ready-made character arc. If the inciting incident is all about loss, then the journey is necessarily about overcoming that loss. Your character will essentially go through the stages of grieving, coming out the other side with a satisfying new outlook on life.<\/p>\n

      Because congenital conditions don\u2019t have that turning point element, there\u2019s no obvious course for character growth. If the character\u2019s disability is stagnant, surely <\/em>their story must be too, especially when compared to the emotionally rich arc inherent in acquiring a disability.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. It could happen to anyone \u2014 even <\/em>you!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        A car wreck. A football mishap. A workplace injury. Any one of us could become paralyzed during our lives and that \u201ccould-be everyman\u201d quality makes it easier for readers to imagine themselves in the story. Even though they can\u2019t relate to the \u201cafter,\u201d they can sympathize because they\u2019re living in the \u201cbefore.\u201d<\/p>\n

        And, of course, there\u2019s a certain morbid fascination with the possibility of \u201cwhat if?\u201d when you probably won\u2019t ever have to find out.<\/p>\n

        Meanwhile, there\u2019s no chance currently non-disabled readers will ever experience congenital disability, so it\u2019s harder to connect with the character.<\/p>\n

        Faulty assumptions<\/h5>\n

        Did you notice the common thread running through the above points? Each treat disability as a tool to make your writing more engaging to a presumed abled audience. They all rely on the assumptions that (a) your audience is abled, (b) story conflict and disabled characters\u2019 arcs must <\/em>stem from their disability, and (c) acquired disabilities simply make for better stories.<\/p>\n

        There are numerous problems here. First of all, approaching a wheelchair-using character in terms of narrative impact is necessarily objectifying. It requires thinking of them primarily as a plot device rather than as a human being. It means focusing solely on the ways their disability can drive the story forward rather than on anything that makes them an individual. Not only does this make for shoddy representation, it usually leads to a two-dimensional character, too. Build your disabled character\u2019s arc based on their specific wants, needs, fears, obstacles, experiences, and goals. Their disability may very well factor into any or all of these areas (and I\u2019d argue it should), but there\u2019s a difference between disability being a core part of your character\u2019s life and being the sole part of the character\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

        Of course, even if you buy into the belief that a disabled character\u2019s story must be inextricably tied to their disability, it\u2019s still foolish to think congenital disabilities offer no story fodder. Navigating the world as a wheelchair user \u2014 no matter the source of the disability \u2014 always comes with challenges, but those challenges will and do vary.<\/p>\n

        I think the main reason for the prevalence of acquired paraplegia goes beyond story-level concerns, though. The driving force, to me, seems to be familiarity. Because we\u2019ve had this sole narrative for so long, it\u2019s become entrenched in our collective imagination as the default. It doesn\u2019t matter that there are dozens upon dozens of reasons someone might use a wheelchair; the image we associate with \u201cwheelchair user\u201d is automatic and omnipresent.<\/p>\n

        It\u2019s also important to note that while wheelchair users with acquired paraplegia may get to see themselves represented more often than those with congenital conditions, there\u2019s a massive difference between mere representation and good <\/em>representation. The quality of portrayals of acquired paraplegia tends to be anywhere from middling to actively harmful.<\/p>\n

        Hierarchies of disability<\/h5>\n

        There\u2019s one final factor that I believe contributes heavily to this discussion: society\u2019s hierarchy of disability. While all disabilities are marginalized, some are seen as more \u201cpalatable\u201d than others. This is a highly complicated topic, and we don\u2019t have room to get into the many, many nuances here, but typically those disabilities that edge closer to \u201cabled\u201d are considered more acceptable than others (though they are certainly never accepted). Of course, this comes with its own unique \u2014 and dangerous \u2014 downsides. If society doesn\u2019t view you as really <\/em>disabled, you\u2019re often denied accommodation and care, and are pressured to act as abled as possible. All of which causes real harm.<\/p>\n

        A handy \u2014 if incomplete \u2014 way to think about this hierarchy of disability is in terms of \u201cseverity.\u201d<\/a> For instance, a wheelchair user with a \u201csevere\u201d disability (whether congenital or acquired) who needs help with eating, dressing, showering, etc. would be further afield from the norm and therefore from acceptability than someone with a \u201cmilder\u201d form. Severe disabilities are also frequently viewed with a grotesque fascination, which only reinforces this hierarchy. Abled society may be much less comfortable with and even actively repulsed by people with more \u201csevere\u201d disabilities, but they\u2019re also compelled by them. The few stories that do feature these kinds of disabilities \u2014 again, whether acquired or congenital \u2014 are often funneled through that lens of abled fascination.<\/p>\n

        But there\u2019s another layer to this: congenital disabilities in general tend to be less palatable than acquired disabilities. There are many reasons for this, but a big one goes back to the fact that abled people could eventually fall into the latter category but never the former. People with congenital conditions are Other from birth. They\u2019ve never been \u201cnormal,\u201d whereas those with acquired disabilities have merely lost <\/em>their normality. Having once been \u201cone of us [the abled]\u201d matters a great deal when someone then becomes \u201cone of them [the disabled].\u201d Of course, this is a vast oversimplification, but it\u2019s worth considering when thinking about the prevalence of the acquired paraplegia narrative.<\/p>\n

        Conclusion<\/h5>\n

        No one wins here. Folks with acquired disabilities may get to see themselves in fiction more often, but they are usually treated as plot devices and inspiration porn. Folks with congenital disabilities see themselves much less often, and the rare times they do, they\u2019re also<\/em> usually treated as plot devices and inspiration porn.<\/p>\n

        Still, it\u2019s important to consider the various possible explanations for this overwhelming narrative. Writers might think they\u2019re choosing what\u2019s best for the story, but ableist assumptions may be at the heart of those choices more often than not. Wheelchair users \u2014 both acquired and congenital \u2014 deserve to see themselves represented respectfully, accurately, and often. Neither group is getting all three, but I believe we as writers can do better on all fronts so long as we think carefully and critically about the underlying biases in our creative process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        The most common wheelchair-using character has acquired paraplegia, but why is this particular narrative so prevalent, and at the expense of all others? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_generate-full-width-content":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[300],"genre":[],"age_category":[],"disability":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3838"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7020,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3838\/revisions\/7020"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3838"},{"taxonomy":"genre","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/genre?post=3838"},{"taxonomy":"age_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/age_category?post=3838"},{"taxonomy":"disability","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabilityinkidlit.com\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disability?post=3838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}