Disability Theory By Tobin Siebers This is Hiccup and Toothless of How to Train Your Dragon 2. By Tobin Siebers

Quiz 1. Disability is: a. minority. b. majority. 2. I am: a. able-bodied. b. disabled. c. temporarily able-bodied. d. temporarily disabled. Handout: Print 15. Just go with your gut and answer quickly!

Quiz I have acquaintances with disabilities: a. Yes. b. No. c. Never. My home is ready for people with disabilities: a. Yes. b. No.

Answers: Disability is a majority. No one is really “able-bodied”. Someday, you will be disabled. Actually, we are all right now, disabled. You probably do have disabled acquaintances. The world is, by default, able-bodied exclusive. We are all disabled because human perfection is impossible. (Legally, however, there are other things. And it varies country by country, state by state.)

Ideology of Ability Selection + Exclusion + Exnomination = Limited Creates social locations outside of its borders Siebers: This location is considered “disabled” but it is more diverse, inclusive, and provides critique of the able-bodied world

Embodiment all knowledge is situated and based on - perspective (social location) - embodiment to adopt/embody claims about & by oneself and act accordingly

Disability (identities narratives + experiences) = Disability Theory they represent locations and forms of embodiment from which critiquing society and the dominant ideology is possible

Theory of Complex Embodiment Intersectional Identity Disability is a form of human variation it includes variability among individuals, and within an individual’s life cycle (aging, chronic pain,...death) - while social representations affect the body experience, the body adopts (and determines) its social experience as well.

Intersectional Identity and Disney Princesses There is more going on than just “being disabled.” Disability is diverse. And there goes more into someone’s life than just their disability. Ex. Mulan = Han Chinese, Pocahontas = Native American, Ariel = Mermaid, Belle = French, Jasmine = Arabic, Tiana = Creole, Royalty by birth vs. Royalty by marriage, Parentage, how capable their society is at socio-economic class… *aware that these cartoon drawings are limited to just “limb abilities” “Disabled Disney” artwork courtesy of http://www.humorchic.blogspot.com

Narcissism - collective accusation that isolates one member of a community as completely different from everyone else - political isolating process where they cannot escape their individual cell - non-ending process of individualization where individual solutions can be provided

Examples in Literature - Oedipus: blind - Achilles: weak ankle - Hunchback of Notre Dame: kyphosis - Richard III: kyphosis Literature makes connections between character and their disability

Realism of the Body - our realistic model of the body falls short of what is really there - part of a “rhetoric” not to describe “how” a body works but how it “ought” to Even Olympic athletes and military agents have limits

Realism of the Body Representation of the disabled people: is achievable only by challenging the dominant conception about them as victims, diseased, needy, or narcissistic

Disabilities are social constructs “In a society of wheelchair users, there would be no stairs.” This advert illustrates how society is built to create disability.

Social Constructionists I - capability to have political identity depends on its ability to emancipate from its individual psychological/physical identity (the suffering body) Disabled people have the right to be complex individuals, not to deny their disability or embrace their disability as their only characteristic.(it is opposite to the social constructionist weak sense of the social/political body) Tyrion’s complex identity is affected by but exclusive to him being a little person. AKA he has personality that may or may not be related to his disability.

Social Constructionists II Siebers: - a physical body can be repressive of political identity if thought confined to an individual, but it can be enabling if considered socially as an ideological form not beyond the individual and not less than the individual

Social Constructionists III Ableism: to question the prejudices of ability ideology - Access to society will enlarge access to political consciousness and sphere

Masquerading Disability vs. Passing I Acting out your stigma to justify why you behave in a certain way Passing: To pretend to be part of the hegemony, like an able-bodied person, a form of psychological denial Example: Emphasizing your disability when you get out of the car so people think you “deserve” that parking spot

Masquerading Disability vs. Passing II - Unmarked - Invisible - Normal Disability: - An effort to ability - More invisible - More invisible as an exception -assumes normality (part of passing)

Political Implications of Disability Masquerading 1. As an expression for political ends Capital Crawl for the ADAPT

Political Implications of Disability Masquerading 2. As a communication form (a performance of disability/stigma to inform others of their presence – with same disability or an able-bodied) here the person with disability could be trying to pass as “normal” but society forces them to act out their “stigma” by putting on an extra accessory, to be “identifiable”

Political Implications of Disability Masquerading 3. As a transgression to the existing system of oppression an able-bodied person can make use of a disability facility, or a disabled person might abandon this facility as insufficient Ex. airport wheelchairs

Political Implications of Disability Masquerading 4. As prosthesis to change and challenge false expectations/social prejudices set by dominant or to make life easier for disabled. the cyborg disabled/enabled body Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius (End at 2:15/4:20) We can use this as an example of the disabled cyborg and prejudice.

Political Implications of Disability Masquerading 5. An exaggerated narrative structure of disability (human-interest story), to reinforce the normative discourse of able-bodies: “pathology of superiority” John Cavil of Battlestar Galactica wants to be more superior than he could be

Political Implications of Disability Masquerading 6. As a “disability drag” Informing human-interest stories: Disadvantage excellent performance of an able-bodied actor reinforces able-bodiedness ideology, temporary, alienated Advantage: people embrace disabled people as something not less than human Example: Maysoon Zayid

TED Talk: Maysoon Zayid (Start 5:45/End at 7:15)

Disability Experience on Trial I Lyotard différend: a situation in which victims are denied the means to demonstrate that they have been wronged Tennessee vs. Lane vs. 2004 legislation

Disability Experience on Trial II Society refuses to see a subject’s disability as a result of experience with the able-bodied world The courthouse was designed by default to deny the disabled Disabled people are seen as non-people

Sexual Rights for Disabled People 1. Disabled sexuality disrupts the notion of a sex life. 2. Sex = reproducing able-bodiedness. 3. Disabled people are seen as less than human, without sexual needs. 4. Disabled people face suspicion that their sex life is not contributing to society.

The Right to be a Sexual Being 1. Typical gender roles are difficult to fit in for disabled. 2. Group homes or long-term care facilities further asexualize disabled people. 3. Disabled bodies change/challenge the erotics of the body and typical sex roles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_home

Disability Challenges Gender 1. Shame is seen from the able-bodied spectator perspective. 2. Disability is a “pivot point” of sex and gender. 3. Disabled people are often not allowed sexual agency because they have no social value. disability studies disturb the space occupied by the the “/”, the dichotomy imposed by the dominant discourse of ability, in terms of gender, sex, capability, identifiability and signification.

First, we need “the Right to Have Rights” 1. Human bodies are frail. 2. The right to have rights is frail. 3. Disabled people are disabled by society. Disabled people today: - Forced confinement - Right to a fair trial - Cannot sue - “You don’t count” education - Blocked from voting - Limited travel ability - Denied the right to a sex life - Seen as a tragedy * Limited in tech options

Application How to Train Your Dragon (start at 1:45) How does Hiccup’s family “take” his injury?

Application How to Train Your Dragon How does HTTYD frame Hiccup’s loss of leg? How does Hiccup react to his new state? Toothless? How does his family and friends react? And Toothless? How does this change Hiccup as a hero? Apply Sieber’s Disability Theory to this film? - Masquerading disability - Passing - Drag - The right to be a sexual being - Disability cyborg - Dragon as a Viking wheelchair - Complex embodiment - Narcissism (well, he’s not) - Intersectional identity (small, brainy Viking)

Finale: “The Right to Have Rights” Nemo has a small fin. Thank you!