Author: crippledscholar

I am a disability and mad studies scholar who is currently working on an autoethnographic PhD looking at the ways in which mad and disabled women are still hidden from public space in various ways. it is tentatively titled "We Still Hide Mad Women in the Attic"

No, Mitch McConnell’s Polio Treatment Wasn’t Government funded and it Likely Influenced his views on Healthcare

~ crippledscholar ~ 6 Comments

A couple of days ago a meme starting going around Facebook about Mitch McConnell's history of surviving polio The thing is, beyond the fact that McConnell did in fact have Polio as a child, the rest of the text is false. His care was not government funded. He received care at the frankly prestigious Warm … Continue reading No, Mitch McConnell’s Polio Treatment Wasn’t Government funded and it Likely Influenced his views on Healthcare

The TARDIS is Inaccessible: Disability in Doctor Who

~ crippledscholar ~ 6 Comments

    This most recent season of Doctor Who has had me thinking about just how bad and limited the representation of disability has been on the show. The show which is often very socially conscious has created a universe past, present and future where disability is generally nonexistent or tokenized. This is of course … Continue reading The TARDIS is Inaccessible: Disability in Doctor Who

But Wasn’t it Nice of Them?: How Praising the Helpers Can Lead to Less Aid

~ crippledscholar ~ 8 Comments

But wasn't it nice of them? Shouldn't people who do things like this be rewarded? These are the questions I am often asked when I critique inspiration porn. Particularly around stories that heap praise on nondisabled people for their assistance of disabled people. The answers to these questions and their accompanying justifications are more complicated … Continue reading But Wasn’t it Nice of Them?: How Praising the Helpers Can Lead to Less Aid

When People Use Diversity to Defend Sameness in Autism Narratives

~ crippledscholar ~ 7 Comments

"It's just one story" or so people keep telling me when I protest the lack of diversity in both autism narratives and characters in the media. The thing is that's exactly the problem. Film and television have basically been writing fan fiction about the same autistic character in different scenarios for decades. This character is … Continue reading When People Use Diversity to Defend Sameness in Autism Narratives

But You Haven’t Seen it Yet: Why Critiquing Marketing of Future Portrayals of Disability is Important

~ crippledscholar ~ 5 Comments

Image Description: Promotional poster for the upcoming ABC show The Good Doctor. The title appears in blue over a grainy black and white image of half of series star Freddie Highmore's face (he is a young white man with dark hair). In contrast to the black and white, his eyes are a vibrant blue. Yesterday, … Continue reading But You Haven’t Seen it Yet: Why Critiquing Marketing of Future Portrayals of Disability is Important