"Enfreakment of Photography"

The word disabled means having a physical or mental condition that limits movements, senses, or activities.  Disabled can also mean handicapped, incapacitated, out of action, crippled, lame, paralyzed, immobilized, and many more.  The word disabled is used differently by everyone depending on the way the perceive it. 

            “Disabled people are almost entirely absent from photographic genres or discussion because they are read as socially dead and as not having a role to play,” is a quote from Hevey’s “Enfreakment of Photography”.  The first thing when reading this quote that comes to my mind is that the media plays a huge role in every aspect of society.  From what we talked about before the media has played a role in eating disorders, the idea of “perfection”, weight, and now what others think of people with disabilities.  You never see a disabled person as a model in advertisements or anywhere in the media.  I think the term “social death” in this context means that disabled people are somewhat disregarded in society.  They might be viewed as not as important as the “normal” person.  Disabled people don’t matter as much and are less useful to everyone.  I think this is awful to think because no matter what they are still people just like everyone else.  People with disabilities can’t help it because they are usually either born with it or got into an accident that made them like that.  No one should discriminate because someone can’t do the same things as others or think the same ways.  Everyone should be treated the same no matter what race, gender, ethnicity, or even disability.

            I think Hevey’s quote can relate to any one of Diane Arubus’ photos.  The one that sticks out to me the most is the one of the woman in a wheelchair.  The woman is not just in a wheelchair but she is holding a scary mask up to her face.  It is a mask you would wear in a haunted house to scare little kids.  To me this pictures tries to make other scared of disabled people.  It shows them as weird, scary, or creepy.  There is no reason to show anyone like this especially a disabled person.  People shouldn’t be judged by the way they look or if they are in a wheel chair or not, but how they act on the inside.  If they are a good person that is all that should matter, not the way they look.  Before one judges another because they are disabled, they should think I could have been born this way, or this could have happened to me and then see how they act towards someone.  Isn’t the golden rule treat someone the way you want to be treated?

            No one person should be considered “almost entirely absent” or “socially dead” or “not having a role to play”.  Everyone should be treated equally no matter how they were born because anything can happen anyone.  Having a disability does not mean one can treat that person differently or that they don’t matter as much in this world.