The South African Civil Society Information Service

I'm Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much

11 Jun 2014

Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair - a fact that doesn't, she'd like to emphasize, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to all humanity. In this funny talk, Young breaks down society's habit of turning disabled people into "inspiration porn”. She highlights the fact that it is not fair to objectify and exceptionalise disabled people simply for doing the mundane things that non-disabled people do. Referring to the social model of disability, she argues that disabled people are more challenged by the society that they live in than the bodies that they live in.

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You can find this page online at http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/2032.