#differently abled
When I “wheel” through the world donning one of my “super-fly” waistcoats over a crisply pressed button-up white shirt, held together by a brightly-colored signature silk bow tie, that is an act of resistance and decolonization because I am exercising agency over my aesthetic, albeit within larger structures of constraint. By doing so, I challenge the sociocultural imposition of an expected (drawing from ableist tropes) way of being. Indeed, I am giving ableism the middle finger.
At the same time, I recognize the limitations of this sort of embodied resistance. If non-disabled people take me seriously only when I am dressed up, then that practice, in and of itself, reflects the insidious (re)entrenchment of ableism. In other words, I am attempting to be subversive, through the (re)construction of my aesthetic, within the confines of the able normative imagination. The tremendous amount of time, energy and level of ability that goes into looking good (whatever that means) and dressing to the nines almost every single day takes time, energy, and ability not always accorded to my black queer crip body. I’ve come to realize that very often, for the sake of our survival, we must subscribe to hegemonic standards of ontology and desirability because those standards have social currency that in some cases lessen the threat of violence and in other cases improve economic conditions. Looking fierce may not transform systems that actively work against my body, but it has and continues to help me reconfigure space through self-definition. Moreover, it empowers me to unapologetically take up (and reconfigure) more space.
FromPart Nouveau:
Unremitting in his ability to shock, Helmut Newton would continuously skirt the status quote with his borderline-offensive and politically incorrect imagery. For Vogue’s February 1995 issue, Newton would cast model Nadja Auermann to model the latest stilettos accessorized with leg braces, canes and other orthopedic paraphernalia, complete with a wheelchair as a prop. The editorial, named “High and Mighty,” was largely viewed as offensive, however, many also received a sense of empowerment from the photographs. For i-D Magazine’s Winter 2010 issue, David Bailey would also employ a disability-chic theme in an editorial with model Abbey Lee Kershaw who was similarly equipped with casts, crutches and braces.
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Jillian Mercado - fashion blogger who has muscular dystrophy and relies on an electric wheelchair - for a new Diesel campaign. Photo by Nicola Formichetti.
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Meet Makeshift/Jack. Jack lives with her foster father “Uncle” in a junkyard in the outskirts of Rothaven, a once great automotive city but has since been abandoned and fallen apart. With a lot of the jobs gone, many resident turn to crime, including some of the politicians. Jack makes a combination of gadgets and mechanical battle armor with parts she gets in the junkyard to fight the bad guys as the superhero Makeshift! But with the bad guys becoming more and more high tech, will Makeshift be able to outsmart them?
This is another story I’ve been working on that I want to someday make into a cartoon. I’m still fleshing out the character designs but I’m happy with my progress so far!
Edit: a producer from Cartoon Network’s Steven’s Universe suggested I send it to them once I’m finished polishing the story, this could be good!
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If they can use “differently abled” I should be able to call them “currently abled”.
“I used to be currently abled like you….then I took an arrow to the knee.”
This person in my grad program always says “differently abled” and god it makes me cringe every time. I don’t know if I even have like… a legitimate critique of it necessarily? But I just really don’t like it lol
