Inspiration Porn

Inspiration PORN. I'll Bet that got your attention. Don't worry, the following entry is not an NC-17 entry. "Inspiration Porn" is the phrase many use within the disability community to describe an image or meme of a person with a disability doing the most ordinary tasks like playing, or talking, or running, or drawing a picture, or hitting a tennis ball - carrying a caption like "your excuse is invalid" or "before you quit, try". Often the caption reads, "The only disability in life is a bad attitude". 

Im not sure what the intention of inspiration porn is......but in my opinion, it's anything BUT inspiring. It plays on the guilt of the able-bodied individual viewing and objectifies the ones with disabilities. What do you think of when you see this picture? I will almost bet a million dollars that you saw it and thought, "AWWWW!!!! Look at that adorable kid trying to run a race even though he has no legs!!! {sniff, sniff}" Screw you. I see a cute kid and nothing else!!! 

Let's be clear. It's really NOT your fault if you did see a kid with prosthetics "trying" not to be different. It's what society has put in your mind to see. Even The Jerry Lewis MDA telethon that has been on for years every Labor Day objectifies disabilities. Sure, they do a great thing by raising money for a wonderful cause. And I remember I was a kid that use to watch it regularly every year because there was one day that handicapped kids were on TV. Then....I was about 13 when I realized those kids are being completely objectified. I'd see each child doing the most mundane things that any able-bodied person can do (like me) and I thought...."what's the big deal about that? Why is this Earth shattering news?" It shouldn't be. Jerry should not be "pimping" these kids out like that, playing on people's emotions and guilt to raise money. I don't ever want someone to think, "Dag......I hate it that Dawn can't walk and has to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Let me give 20 bucks to the Spina Bifida Association." Fuck you and keep your money. If you're going to give money to a charity, it should be because you genuinely believe in it and you want to prevent whatever affliction the charity is working for. 

I have had thousands of people telling me that I am inspiration to them...that I inspire them. When I first heard it as a child, I thought it was cool....I didn't realize what they were REALLY saying to me. As I got older, my response changed to, "Um.....Thanks." Because I didn't know what to say. Now, I will ask simply, "What do you mean by that?" I do not want to be your inspiration if it's simply because I'm handicapped and I still manage to get out of bed every morning and live my life without literally falling on my face. I swear I can do anything you can do....I just do it sitting down. There is nothing inspiring about that. Why is it inspiring that I do exactly what you do in the seated position? It baffles my mind when people say to me that I inspire them......to do what?

As I said earlier, it's not entirely your fault that you view people with disabilities differently. It truly is that of society. You don't see people on TV in wheelchairs often...and when you do they are sometimes played by someone that is capable of walking. Think "Glee". If a disabled person were to try out for a role in which the character is in a wheelchair, they are often turned down because they are "too disabled". So they choose to hire a big name actor/actress to play the part. Then they have to hire people to TEACH the actor how to be handicapped. Wha????? Even our government is behind. It wasn't until 1990 that the Government decided to protect the millions of Americans with disabilities from discrimination and civil rights violations through The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. How many millions of people were born with disabilities before that had to occur?

I do not want to be your inspiration....not for being in a wheelchair, anyway. I am simply living my life. And I'm living it the best way I know how and the way my mother taught me to do so. I DO want to inspire other disabled people to realize that they CAN live the life they want. But I do not set out to inspire you. So please find another inspiration. Im not it. Im simply Dawn....living my life.