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Adrianna Ax

Professor Granillo

English 103

25 November 2019

Disabled By Society

​“The moment a little boy is concerned with which is a jay and which is a sparrow, he can

no longer see the birds or hear them sing.” Eric Burne a well-known psychiatrist who created the

theory and analysis which explains human behavior makes a fascinating point within this quote.

Once someone is concerned with specific traits that others carry they can no longer enjoy the

everyday pleasures of seeing or hearing the birds sing ‘hypothetically’. ​Public spaces are created

for the people and by the people that being said public spaces are made to be convenient for

them, accommodating as much as they can to people of different disabilities. Though The

Canyon Club facilities do their best to make experiences in public convenient, there are still

several establishments which do not. Places of social interaction and shows much like Canyon

Club are required by law to accommodate to all. Though oftentimes disabilities are not always

visible, those with disabilities that are not immediate;y recognized receive judgement from

people within the public. The Canyon Club is a concert venue which people socialize and sit

with strangers at large tables to enjoy dinner. While there are many efforts put into making all

feel comfortable and welcome, it is nearly impossible to control the way people treat others.

This judgement comes from the belief that if a disability is not immediately visible, then it is not
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a disability, this glare of judgement from this public eye is similar to the glare, women receive

from men the male-gaze.

While public places are the ideal environment for social interaction there are many laws

and regulations enforced to make social environments comfortable for anyone who decides to go

and accommodations for disabled members of society. The Canyon Club chain and several other

small venue chains are required to follow specific regulations when building their

establishments. When one enter’s The Canyon the majority of the seating is on one level as well

as the bathrooms and bars; The bars have handicap accessible areas for food and drinks if one

desires. Seating on the floor is close together with fair space between tables but not ideal for

those with physical disabilities. There is one area of the venue called the VIP seating area, which

is raised about 10 feet above the floor seating, in order to seat those who sit there above all the

people on the first level. In the VIP seating area is available handicap seating with a lift within

close range of that area for convenient accessibility to the venue.While the Canyon Club makes

every experience as convenient as possible, they can not prevent the glares that come from

people within a public place.

In a place like a concert venue having a disability is already uncomfortable, its dark, loud

and crowded. Though The Canyon does their best to accommodate to all to enter, there are still

situations where some might feel uncomfortable. The article, “Common Portrayals of Persons

with Disabilities” explains the discomfort that persons with disabilities encounter on a daily basis

and throughout their lives. The article states, “disability as a challenge which the character must

overcome in order to be “normal”. People with disabilities have to, not only learn how to cope

with their disabilities and daily struggles but they also have to figure out how to fit in as a
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“normal” just to live a comfortable life within a judgemental society. While they are working

hard to fit in they still receive these stares from the public which sets them apart from ‘normal’

people, making them feel as though they don’t belong because their disabilities are present.

Though some only glance or look for a short period of time this is still an uncomfortable feeling

as well as extremely inappropriate, of course. Passing judgement on others is shameful and

happens too often within society, there should be a common rule of thumb that everyone can

agree on and treat everyone as equal. These stares make those with disabilities feel as though

they are not welcome or don't belong in society, much like the male-gaze which women received

from men.

Disabilities should be examined under different lenses because it is a diverse topic and

should be approached from different angles. Critical disability theory is complicated and should

not be limited to bodily or mental impairments but also the social normalities which define

certain impairments and social conditions which concentrate stigmatized attributes in particular

populations, according to the article “Critical Disability Theory”.​ ​While critical disability theory

is directed towards the obvious assumptions of the physically disabled, there are several other

possible subjects that could be addressed within the theory which is only limited to the approach

taken when speaking of critical disability theory. When deciding who falls under critical

disabilities by default, it should be more carefully considered that there are several types of

disabilities visible or not; disabilities can come from the restraints placed on society and the

people within and less on the more obvious subjects.

Stereo-typing comes in many different shapes and forms, from race and gender

identification to people of different disabilities. In the article, “Critical Disability Studies:

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Looking Back and Forward” it explains the disabiled often experience not only discrimmination

but are completely separated from society because they do not function the same as ‘normal’

people do. This discrimmination against the disabled is “​deep, pervasive, and pseudo-scientific

blade of social injustice, exclusion, segregation, and stratifi- cation.” Explaining that those who

are abled are separating the disabled from society and placing them in a different place, away

from the rest of the abled social class. Similarly, the way women are held back and separated

from equal rights because the male-dominate society does not encourage it; the disabled and

women are similarly stereotyped by society as ‘less than’ giving them less opportunity than

others. In the article, “Common Portrayals of Persons with Disabilities,”​ ​it states “Part of

stereotyping is the attitude that all members of a particular group are the same, or else fall into a

very small number of types.” The disabled are often stereo-typed as simple minded, pitied, given

gracious charity, crippled sometimes even aggressive and angry; Because of these stereotypes

the disabled receive pitiful and hateful glares from the public even though not all disabled people

are the same. Though sometimes this glare is brief , it leaves the person receiving the glare feel

out of place or attacked. People tend to pass unnecessary judgment on those who appear the

same as them but move or operate differently than they do. ​This type of judgement passed in

society is usually very obvious and makes those receiving the judgement feel uncomfortable,

often leading them to feel like they don't belong or that they are less than the other ‘normal’

people around them. A similar discomfort women feel when they receive the male gaze from

men. Women are supposed to feel oppressed by this or feel less than the man because of the way

they sexualize women when they look at them.

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Shelly Tremain a well known philosopher with a PhD in philosophy has created new

theories on feminism and philosophy of disability. Though she is mainly a feminist philosopher

teacher she is improving theories on feminism and disability. In her article, “Introducing

Feminist Philosophy of Disability” she states, “​how feminist theory must expand in order to

incorporate the claims of disability theory; the potential that feminist disability studies has to

transform feminism, and so on.​”. Explaining that incorporating disabilities and feminism within

society, the theories of feminism needs to be further explored and explained to most efficiently

connect the two, although the connection is there she furthers she research. Tremain has since

coined the term “​feminist philosophy of disability​” as feminism and disabilities share theoretical

assumptions, social values and political aims. The specific role women are supposed to play in

society encourage the patriarchal society , disabling women from becoming empowered together.

The expected gender roles of society are the cause for recent rage in feminism. In the article,

“Gender Training Backlashes: Participants Resistance and the Fragility of Commonsensical

feminism” it states, “​through a gender ideology at the service of the institutions of patriarchy,

and covertly disseminated through the imposed and controlling definition of the “ideal” model of

the female”. Putting all different types of pressure on women to be submissive to men, to be a

certain size or act a certain way. It is an unrealistic expectation of women and it keeps women

from being able to feel comfortable when going out in public spaces; women can't even dress a

certain way without “asking for it”. If they do dress that way this is when women receive the

male-gaze from men which sexualizes them. Women are unable to be who they want to be and

not what society wants them to be by the male-dominant society, they are just eye candy for men
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but gives the same feeling as the glare that makes disabled members of society feel

uncomfortable in public spaces .

Similar to the way the disabled are discriminated against by the glare of the public,

women are to feel similar ways when receiving the “male-gaze” from men. Women are set to

specific standards when it comes to the way they should behave and what their roles’ are in

society. In the textbook, “Critical Theory Today” Loius Tyson, states ​“patriarchal women are

programmed socially and oppressed by traditional gender role” (Tyson 82). Specifically

addressing the “oppressed by traditional gender roles” part of the quote, worded differently

women are disabled by society because they are programmed to be a specific version of a

woman. When women do not follow the expected gender role they are sought out to feel

different in society and unwelcome to not being who they should be... Women feel like objects in

society and the male gaze is what contributes to this feeling women experience. Helen Cixous, a

well known feminist theorist recognizes that the patriacrchy is cultural and programmed into our

society. Cixous explains that women defined by the male-gaze have an opportunity to take their

power back and use their body to communicate with power and influence. In the article.

“Resisting the Male Gaze”​ ​Dianne Ponteroto, explains the way women have been marked as

pleasure items for the male eyes, through the male gaze is disabling women to live within society

at the same level as a man. Women are encouraged to become this patriarchal conditioned

version of what they are expected to be by society while they are trying to figure out who they

want to be , the male gaze contributes to this patriarchal conditioning of society. Conditioning of

society puts stereotypes on many different types of people every day. Specifically, the public
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glare to the disabled due to these stereo-types is unfair and male-gaze women receive because of

their stereotypes.

Though it would not be obvious at a first glance, feminism and disabled people have

much more in common than one would think, not physical but they deal with similar issues

within society. They are both treated differently by people within society because they are not as

society would like them to be. Women have the issue of simply being eye candy, the male gaze

and the disabled are considered not eye candy but receive rude obvious stares. Having both

feeling uncomfortable and uneasy in public spaces. Also from the article, “Critical Disability

Theory” it states, “​Alliances among critical discourses, including queer theory and feminist

theory, are essential to the task of critical disability theory, as no one theory or discipline alone

can nor should attempt to handle the complexity and scope of the phenomena of disability.”

While public spaces due to the best that they can do to make all patrons feel accepted and

welcome, unfortunately there is just not anything that can be done about the way people choose

to act and react to others and their circumstances whatever they may be. There is judgement that

is passed from the public eye when those who have disabilities that are less noticeable than

others. This judgement comes from the naive belief that if the disability is not visible than it is

not a disability. The glare of judgement the disabled receive is similar to the glare women

receive from men called the male-gaze. Public spaces and establishments do as much as they can

to make everyone comfortable. The glare women recieve from men has been going on for years

though it is being recognized as feminist and making women feel like less than a man. While the

disabled receive glares and rude stares from people of all types because they can not function at

the same level as the rest of society. The two come together and can relate to one another
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because both the stare and the glare make the receiving side of the look feel uncomfortable

and/or unwelcome.

There are several actions to take here, to better the experience for any and every person

within society there should not be unfair and unwarranted judgements passed toward others.

While disabilities and societal conditioning are not always obvious, the public should be

respectful first and more aware of these issues. There should be more enforcement put into

making all feel welcomed/ involved in social and public places. Campaign ads for spreading

positivity and happiness not sexuality and bullying. While there have been many laws and

regulations made to enforce more comfortable experiences for everyone, there are no laws that

can restrict someone from glaring if they want to. Women should come together and demand

equal rights and the freedom to wear what they want without being sexualized by men. Women

need to learn to empower each other and complement one another instead of attacking each

others flaws and putting each other down, especially among young women. Children should be

taught to be respectful before they’re rude and to ask questions before assuming something about

someone based on their appearance. These issues of Racism, classism, sexism and many other

forms of discrimmination could be avoided and one day actually none existent if we taught

children to be kind, respectful and thoughtful. If we taught everyone these ways, most adults are

set in their ways but it's time for a change. The world is in desperate need of a good change and

it’s time for those who have these tendencies to let go and accept people for who they are so we

can grow a more peaceful and together community, instead of a divided community. Respectful

behavior should be taught from a young age and encouraged through adulthood. Respect should

be expected and given as deserved among the younger people in society.

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Works Cited

Berne , Eric. “Discrimination Quotes (464 Quotes).” ​Goodreads​, Goodreads, 2019,

www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/discrimination​.

Tyson, Louis. ​Critical Theory Today.​ Routledge, 2015, Third Edition

Tremain, Shelley. “Introducing Feminist Philosophy of Disability.” ​Disability Studies

Quarterly,​ Dsq.org, 2013, dsq-sds.org/article/view/3877/3402.

Smarts, Media. “Common Portrayals of Persons with Disabilities.” ​MediaSmarts,​ 22

Aug.2014,mediasmarts.ca/diversity-media/persons-disabilities/common-portrayals-persons-disab

ilities.

Hall, Melinda C. “Critical Disability Theory.” ​Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,​

Stanford University, 23 Sept. 2019, plato.stanford.edu/entries/disability-critical/.

Ponterotto, Diane. “Resisting the Male Gaze: Feminist Responses to the ‘Normatization’

of the Female Body in Western Culture.” ​Journal Of International Women's Study​, Jan. 2016,

pp. 133–151., doi:BridgeWater State University.

Fine , Michelle. “Journal Of Social Issues .” ​Critical Disability Studies : Looking Back

and Forward​, 2019, doi:A Journal of the Society for the Psychological Study Of Social Issues .

Nordvall, Henrik. “When Gender Training Backlashes.” ​Article,​ 2019.