Women in Wheelchairs

When I attended Pepperdine University, before transferring to Spelman, I took a class on social justice in which we did a month long study on disabilities and the discrimination that often comes with those disabilities. I think that I planned on learning similar things from this article but I couldn’t have been more wrong. From the reading, “Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory” I understand the goal of feminist disability studies is “to augment the terms and conform the limits of the ways we understand human diversity, the materiality of the body, multiculturalism and social formations that interpret bodily differences.” Our society has accepted several things as normal: walking on two legs, having ten figures and ten toes, clear skin, pleasant body odor, the ability to walk, the ability to control one’s bodily functions and the list goes on. I would never think that being a woman could be considered “abnormal” in our society. I guess because I have always lived in a world of men and women. I do not understand how anyone, man or woman, could think being a female as a disability. The only person who could rightfully hold that opinion was probably Adam, because when he saw Eve he could have rightfully concluded that her swollen breast, lack of penis and hour glass form were all malfunctions from God. I agree that there are some forms of womanhood that can be considered disabling. Much like the example that was given about Sarah Bartmaan’s big butt or another example is large breasted women who experience back pain or the inability to lie on their backs and watch television. However, much like Sarah Bartmaan was considered a “freak” so were many others, of different races and genders who had exaggerated features, like the man who had a lot of hair was labeled “Monkey man” and I am sure there are a lot of men with horse sized penises that are considered freaks of nature. I do not think that this phenomenon of feminine disability is valid. Much like a woman who has a beard can be considered abnormal, so can a man who has large breast or hips. Most of the times I strongly support the ideas that are presented in women’s studies, but at times I feel that some points are exaggerated or vaguely true. I do feel that Rosemarie Garland-Thomson was on to something when she started analyzing female disability but I think her argument would be strengthened if she considered how these ideas of normality affect men as well.

On a more personal note, it is amazing how physical disabilities affect the lives of women. For example, a woman who is deaf, missing a leg or has a distorted body figure is very unlikely to get married; however a man experiencing similar things is still very likely to marry and lead a normal life. It disappoints me how much men are physical beings. I admire women’s ability to look past the outside and appreciate what’s inside. Guy’s are so gross sometimes. Ugha.