Representation of Disability

1. What dramas can you think of that have disabled people in them? Game of Thrones, Glee
2. What do you think of when you think of disability? People who are either physically or mentally challenged.

    •There are 770,00 disabled children under the age of 16 in the UK. That equates to 1 child in 20.

•Nearly one in five people of working age (7 million, or 18.6%) in Great Britain have a disability.

What is the medical model of disability (Shakespeare)

The Medical Model: Shakespeare (1999)

•The media throughout history has depicted disability through the use of impairment, Shakespeare points out in his article about disability in film

• "impairment is made the most important thing" and disabled characters are "objectified and distanced from the audience".

How does this affect the way the disabled are presented? 

People with disabilities are known for their disabilities and so you do not really get close to the person.

The media has focused on portraying impairment through the influence of the medical model of disability

(The disabled person as pitiable or pathetic)

•disabled people's inability to interact in normal daily life is a direct result of their physical and/ or mental impairment.

•e.g. Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carole” "crippled" child of Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, is defined by his disability and will only survive through medical intervention.

We tend to pity the disabled as we can tell they are challenged whether it be physical and mental. This can be quite patronising because it encourages an 'us and them society'.

Annotate within this an analysis of the following clips

James Bond disabled villains:

Le Chriffe has a blood condition

Bloefeld he has a scar down his face

Jaws he was very strong but mentally challenge character 

Dr. No was missing two hands

Da Silva cyanide pill didn't kill him and disfigured his face  

•Why is this clip funny?

It was funny because it was very slapstick. 

•How is the disabled girl represented?

She's represented as pathetic and vulnerable.

•Are we meant to be laughing at the disabled person?

From the way that the attention is heavily centred on her I feel as if her reaction and 

the way she acts afterwards, I feel she is meant to be the brunt of the joke.

•Are they the ‘butt’ of the joke?

"

•How do you think disabled people respond to this?

I think everyone would be very shocked and offended as they have represented disability in a rather stereotypical way as

someone in a wheelchair who is also mentally challenged.

•In what way does the representation comply with Shakespeares  STEREOTYPE!

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•Are we as society being cultivated to think that we should pity disability?

Yes, because they are represented as those who struggle and so you feel as if help is needed for them and that causes pity.

•Why is this clip funny?

Because Warwick Davis is struggling to move a washing machine which is as tall as him.

•How is Warwick Davis represented?

He's represented as unable to participate in everyday life as he struggles to perform a task that the woman performs

so easily.

•Are we meant to be laughing at the disabled person?

Yes and no because the real joke is about how worker can be lazy and won't do their jobs properly and that the 'dizzy

blonde' didn't tell him about the washing machine but yes because when he falls over it adds slapstick.

•Are they the ‘butt’ of the joke?

No

•How many of Paul Hunt’s (1991) stereotypes does this clip comply with?  

Laughable

Unable to participate in everyday life

Burden

Pitiable 

•In what way does the representation comply with Shakespeares  STEREOTYPE!

•Are we as society being cultivated to think that we should pity disability?

·       Inbetweeners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvTgvEzpSzQ

·       Skyfall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMOYiV7hUR0

Life’s too short https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jtTjfEW7iQ