Representation - Disability

As a class we listened to 'Spasticus Autisticus' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, this was playing as the lesson started. Ian Dury had polio and therefore this illness stopped the growth in one of his legs, making him physically disabled, this song is aimed at disabilities but as he wrote it, it's accepted by the public.
We discussed our views on disabled people as a class and how we feel around them; there were mixed reactions depending on whether a student had experienced being around disabled people before or not. The ideas we came up with were that it depends on the disability, whether it's mental or physical, we all came to the conclusion that we feel comfortable around them but more uncomfortable around mental disabilities than physical. We all agreed that we feel awkward around disabled people but we don't want to patronise them so we don't stare, this is harder for younger people as they can't help it if they see someone 'different'. It's easier for people to take the mickey out of disabilities than to empathise with the person, we try to avoid them in public places as we feel intimidating to them.


We then listed famous people with disabilities;
Stephen Hawking - wheelchair
Heather Mills - one leg
Gordon Brown - one eye
Stevie Wonder - blind
Verne Troyer - Achondroplasia
Muhammad Ali - Parkisons' disease
Gary Coleman - Achondroplasia
Albert Einstein - Autism
Leonardo Da Vinci - Autism
Michael J. Fox - Parkinsons' disease
Ian Dury - Polio
Terry Pratchett - Alzheimer's
Ray Charles - blind
Mozart - deaf


We went on to looking at characters in films that have disabilities;
Rainman - Dustin Hoffman
Forrest Gump - Tom Hanks
My Left Foot - Daniel Day Lewis
I Am Sam - Sean Penn
Born on the 4th of July - Tom Cruise
Waterboy - Adam Sandler
The Ringer - Johnny Knoxville
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Brad Pitt
Unbreakable - Samuel L. Jackson
iRobot - Will Smith
Million Dollar Baby - Hilary Swank
Avatar - Sam Worthington


Four of these films feature the disabled person as being a hero in the end, proving to the audience that even with disabilities people can win over others and be successful. Seven of the films listed above were nominated and/or won Oscars for Best Film and Best Actor, this shows that the public like to see actors playing characters who are 'different' and unusual, the films usually sell well and are very successful with awards and responses are often positive.