Disabled people must fight their environment just to live day to day. They are often dehumanized and judged. Instead of being viewed a human with rights, thoughts, and feelings they are viewed as a mistake or tragedy. Disabilities cannot define who someone is, and disabled people should not be victims of segregation, discrimination, and degradation. This picture of Olympian and double amputee Blake Leeper was taken in August of 2015 by Christina Mauro, who followed him for a day as he was training. According to an article written by Mauro, Blake Leeper has a new partnership with Nike.
Leeper thinks this partnership can redefine America’s idea of disability. To what extent does the portrait of Blake Leeper at the gym represent American values? By making the focal points the American flag and the disabled man Rosemarie Garland-Thompson would think the image is representing American Ideals of strength by fighting the negative social aspects of disability. The essay “Becoming Disabled” by Rosemarie Garland-Thompson discusses what it means to be disabled, the complications that come with a disability, and the lack of awareness people have.
Some people do not see others with a disability as having a shared social identity and political status. By being aware people start to see disability everywhere (2). Having a disability can be an advantage and just because someone is disabled it does not mean they have had a bad life or that something terrible has happened. It just means that they have had a different life. This essay also talks about how one in five people have a disability, and at some point in our lives almost everyone will be considered disabled.
The image of Blake Leeper helps fight the egative social identity that disabled people have. It proves that Leeper is strong and equal to everyone else. This is a very important American idea, the American flag represents equality, strength, and freedom; all of which Blake Leeper is demonstrating. There are two main things that stand out in this picture, the flag and Leeper. By drawing attention to these things, it becomes obvious that he is patriotic and proud. Although Blake Leeper is a Paralympic star it is possible he would be able to run faster if he had not lost his legs, but there is a very colorful range of possibilities.
Moving forward the photographer put Blake Leeper and the American flag in vivid colors to make the connection between them clear. Wendell would probably think this is a sign of bravery. “The Social Construction of Disability” by Susan Wendell talks about how “the distinction between the biological reality of a disability and the social construction of a disability cannot be made sharply, because the biological and the social are interactive in creating disability” (35).
The author talks about how society and culture turn an impairment into a disability. On page 36 Susan Wendell says, “I see disability as socially constructed in ways ranging from social conditions that straightforwardly create illnesses, injuries, and poor physical functioning, to subtle cultural factors that determine standards of normality and exclude those who do not meet them from full participation in their societies”. Disability is when someone is limited by their physical condition because their environment is not suitable for their needs.
Disability is also when the “pace of life” is only focused on the young, strong, and healthy person therefore people with physical impairments start to fall behind (37). Culture can also cause disability through stereotypes and stigmas. Some people do not see others with a different physical condition than their own as full citizens or as equal to themselves. A culture or society also has the chance to deconstruct disability by adapting to people with ailments which would allow these people to be more independent and live fuller lives by working and not missing opportunities just because they have an impairment (56).
This essay has a lot in common with Garland-Thompson’s essay because they both were written to make nondisabled people aware of things they can do to help people with disabilities, either by changing the stigma that disability is a huge hindrance or that disabled people are different. People with an impairment are equal to everyone else and deserve the same opportunities. It is our job to make sure we live in a world that works for everyone, not just ourselves. She might argue that Leeper is being brave by living and succeeding in an environment not built for him.
Susan Wendell might think he is being brave but Stella Young may think that he should not be seen as brave for succeeding in an inaccessible environment because that would mean people have lower expectations for him (4:29). Using Wendell and Garland-Thompsons’ lens we can assume that the author uses photojournalism to prove that anyone can succeed in America, the author of A Philosophical Perspective to Confront Disability Stigmatization and Promote adaption to Disability would think that the image is proving that Blake overcame stigmas and that they have only pushed him to train harder.
Some people think that disability could have been caused by sinful actions or character flaws. There has been a negative stigma on disability for thousands of years (140). These stigmas have caused disabled people to blame themselves for their impairment. The purpose of this article is to encourage adaption towards disability. One effect of negative stigmatization is when someone’s personality is effected by their disability. It also could be hard for someone to accept their disability if they know they will be looked down upon. This leads to social isolation and the person becomes more withdrawn.
Once the negative ideas are accepted they could linger in a disabled person’s consciousness for years. By understanding how Blake Leeper became disabled how stigmatization has either pushed or held him back can beanalyzed, then used to determine the deeper meaning of the picture along with how Leeper’s disability is connected to the American flag or American ideals. The article talks about how the long-lasting effects of stigma placed on disabled people have not caused Blake Leeper to give up. Only Blake Leeper himself knows exactly how the stigmas have affected his life.
However, he continues to work hard and train even with the negative social aspects he must deal with just because he is disabled. photojournalism is when a photographer takes an unplanned picture of something happenings in everyday life. The images are not planned or staged. They use photojournalism to prove that anyone can succeed in America, the author of A Philosophical Perspective to Confront Disability Stigmatization and Promote adaption to Disability would think that the image is proving that Blake overcame stigmas and that they have only pushed him to train harder.
Finally, the man is at eye level because the photographer wanted to establish a personal connection between him and the viewer, Stella Young would think this is a representation of equality. Stella Young’s TED Talk was about how a lot of people expect the disabled community to be inspirational. She talked about how she was raised in a small town, she went to school and got good grades when someone told Young’s parents that they wanted to give her an award. She says people were taught that disability is a bad thing and people who are living with it are exceptional; however, Stella young disagrees with this.
Stella mentions that the “motivational” pictures of disabled people are inspiration porn because they objectify one group of people (disabled people) for the benefit of another group of people (nondisabled people). Stella Young says she’s been approached by strangers telling her she is inspirational or brave. Young tells the people at the talk that most of disabled peoples’ obstacles come from society. Objectifying disabled people only makes life harder for them.
She wants to live in a world with higher expectations for people with disability. The TED Talk challenges the emotions most people have when they see the image. I think it is important for people to challenge what they believe so they can expand their knowledge. People should be able to look at the analysis of the TED Talk with the image and understand that their expectations should be the same for him as they are for everyone else. He is not less or greater than everyone else. This idea of equality is greatly embraced throughout America.
Stella Young might be offended if Blake Leeper was being called brave, but I think she would argue that he is equal. She might think the camera is angled that way because it shows that he is human, just like everyone else. Even though the picture represents bravery, strength, and equality, many people in America still do not see disabled people as these things. I think the picture is pushing for everyone to see disabled people in the same way they see abled people. Because in the image the environment is not holding Blake Leeper back from accomplishing his goals.