Team Canada Women's Para Hockey Coach | KNES Professor | Disability Sport Provincial Director
As the Paralympics start to come on the scene for Paris 2024 we will undoubtedly read and hear many stories focus on the medical or charitable model of disability (see: Inspiration Porn Ted Talk by the great Stella Young). It's our jobs as consumers of these stories to question what is being portrayed. Dr. Danielle Peers writes in their paper, "Interrogating disability: The (de)composition of a recovering Paralympian": 'We, as members of parasport communities, have a choice about what role we wish to play in the (re)production of disability and the disabling cultures that sustain it. We can continue to compose ourselves as those who can overcome (or help others to overcome) biomedical disabilities, or we can participate in the de-composition of stories, cultures and industries that disable. We can continue interrogating and normalizing those whom we understand as having disabilities, or we can begin to interrogate and de-naturalize the story of disability itself.' Channel 4 does a good job to call out the tragedy/inspiration narrative of "she's doing so well, considering" although admittedly it does still have a bit of a supercrip feel. (Unsure if you can really ever get away from this in Paralympic Sport?) As disability-inclusive advertiser, Kelsey Lindell, states, "by using a neutral tone for both the Olympics and Paralympics, you get to demonstrate the 'social model' of viewing disability." I am hopeful that thoughtful media and advertisers will use the Paralympics to start to awaken more of society to the oppression that is reproduced by inspirational/tragic/supercrip narratives rather than reinforce it.
CEO of Channel 4. Non Executive Director. Well behaved women seldom make history. 😀
Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympics is famous for the brilliant campaigns from our teams in marketing and 4creative. Our new film focuses on what the athletes must overcome to reach sporting greatness. It’s not disability: it’s the forces that are against everyone - friction, gravity, heat and time. The forces of sport don’t care about disability, they make no concessions. Gravity will still weigh you down, the wind will still steer you off course, time doesn’t slow down for anyone and friction will still burn you. This film shows the Paralympians as the exceptional, elite athletes they are, highlighting their extraordinary sporting achievements. I am really looking forward to seeing your reactions! Thank you to Lynsey Atkin Miketta Lane Katie Jackson Amber Kirby Anna Kerr Kate Clayton Ally Castle MBE Martin Baker International Paralympic Committee ParalympicsGB, Production and craft partners, Scope Purple Goat Agency OMD UK, Nabil Shaban. Athletes - Aaron Phipps MBE PLY, Dame Sarah Storey, Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, Joseph Lane, Emma Wiggs MBE, Olivia Broome and Alfie Hewett.
David Legg
3mo
well said
Yes! Spot on Tara
Vice President of Marketing at Bauer Hockey
3moTara, thank you for continuing to raise our awareness, to speak the truth and open our eyes to societal systems that hold people with disabilities down. It is our own perceptions that are flawed. At Bauer Hockey we have been striving to elevate women in hockey and portray them as the world class athletes they are, first. However, I also believe in the power of the back story and athletes that have had to overcome exponentially more difficult obstacles to succeed. These athletes endure fans, connecting not only through their sport performances, but also through their ability to overcome. This provides inspiration to people facing seemingly insurmountable challenges in life. Let any non-disabled person try to play sledge hockey or any other Paralympic sport and the awakening will be real. Walk a mile in another’s shoes is a powerful way to elevate awareness.