Disabilities Are Not Full Identities

“It’s a really cool opportunity and I’m very grateful that they did think outside the box,” says DeVido

While reading the Philadelphia Inquire, I came across the article entitled “Comic may change your mind about wheelchairs” Changing minds… love it. I am all for a little change of perspective on this fine Wednesday morning! Before I even started to dive into the article itself, I took a moment to reflect on what preconceptions are associated with those in wheelchairs in society today. Since the article is promoting some sort of change or switch of views on people in wheelchairs, what are we as a society changing from?

As I thought back to my RHS 100 class, a class solely based on disability culture, I recalled one video in particular that highlighted society’s reactions towards those with physical disabilities. In one clip in shannondevido-1696-00270026_21particular, a man came upon a woman on the street where he made the statement, “she’s actually pretty for a girl in a wheelchair”. Rude. I know. Why even mention the wheelchair -why is she not just pretty? Sure the wheelchair is part of her identity and makes her who she is but why does her disability rise over every other quality or form of identity that she may have? The shocking reality is that many people have these ideas in their heads that a disability is the only identity for someone with a disability. Many people see someone in a wheelchair and only see the chair without taking the time to notice that the person may be a really great violin player or a wonderful teacher or downright funny person.

And speaking of funny people, comedian and actress Shannon DeVido is rising to the top. As I dug deep into the article I found that Shannon DeVido has spinal muscular atrophy and has been in a wheel chair since she was 4 years old. However, what I found even more interesting and encouraging was the fact that the article did not even mention this until about the second page of the article. When it was mentioned it was mentioned briefly and followed by the statement “it’s easy to mention that as an aside because it turns out, in DeVido’s life, it’s very much on the side” (Amorosi). DeVito does not see her life as defined by her disability. She does not let it consume her every day life or hold her back from success. It is a part of her just as much as her brown hair and quirky personality.

What really enlightened me on her positive outlook on her situation was when she stated, “I am a person with a disability, but it’s not who I am. It affects and shapes the way I view comedy, but I definitely don’t allow it to influence the entirety of my existence” (DeVido). Like wow. This is what all people in society need to read and understand. Sure I’m sure a lot of people did read the article, but did they really read it and understand what she means by this? Did they open their minds to the fact that this statement basically goes against the preconceived views that many people have towards people with disabilities, and are usually unaware of? DeVido does not want people to look at her and see that she is someone in a wheelchair but look at her and see a really funny person, a real person, who just happens to not be able to walk.

In DeVido’s YouTube show, Stare at Shannon, she plays with the idea of this negative stigma towards those with disabilities to turn the tables with social commentary on those who view the disabled with prejudice. She does not see her disability as the only thing that defines her but she does see her every day situations in life as something that can shine light on the prejudices in society. But in her new role in Difficult People, a show about two best friends living in NY city, disability is not the focus what so ever. DeVido plays a character who isn’t disabled and wasn’t intended to be. The fact that the producers gave her the opportunity to play someone who has nothing at all to do with a wheelchair is a big step in the right direction. They just saw the funny, not just the wheelchair.

Although people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States, they are never in the news, in movies, on TV shows, or in the newspapers unless to further promote the negative stigma. Even if they are in the media, they are seen as “super crips”(rare heroes) or the tragic. Shannon DeVido is finally shining a different light on those with disabilities. We usually see people with disabilities as the brunt of the joke not telling the jokes, making the agendas, telling stories about their lives with real human frankness and openness. Quite honestly, what’s so amazing, is she does not want the attention. She does not want to be seen as a hero for those that have disabilities. She just wants to be someone that can bring people into her world who might not know a lot about disabilities while cracking a few jokes here and there 🙂

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http://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-philadelphia-inquirer/20150311

2 thoughts on “Disabilities Are Not Full Identities

  1. This was such a great read for me. I’m in RHS 300 right now and I love the conversations we have in it, some of them very similar to what you just explained! Unfortunately, many people just see the disability and not the actual person. In my class, we decided that it isn’t necessarily only for those with disabilities. We thought that lots of people in this world focus on the negatives of others and like to ignore the positives. I don’t know why this is the case, but it does seem to be true for many people out there. I’d like it to change, just as much as I’m sure you want it to change, and I think allowing people to read blogs like this is an eye-opener and a step in the right direction.

  2. I personally don’t know many people with physical disabilities, and it doesn’t seem like the public is aware of just how many there are. Especially because minority groups are not given much attention outside of their defining qualities. Humans take advantage of their bodily functions to fulfill everyday tasks. But just because people with disabilities can’t necessarily operate a certain way doesn’t mean their incapable of living regular lives. Shannon DeVido does not see her disability as a inhibitor, only something that has made her who she is, which evidently has sparked her success. I think that a lot more people need to take the time to reassess their perceptions of people with physical handicaps, and hopefully realize that it isn’t someones’ only defining quality.

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