the one token woman who overcame
and definitely didn’t have any friends or peers. if you aren’t in the 1% don’t bother trying because you won’t beat the system.
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YES! You get what I’m saying.
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I started reading “Lies Your Teacher Told You” and it mentioned how no one talks about Helen Keller later in life - she was a huge activist for disabled people and women’s suffrage. I need to go back and read/listen to more of that book, maybe I can get through more of it as an audiobook.
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She was also a socialist and a vaudeville performer.
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I have shouted this at some articles recently 
nice to know I’m not the only one feeling it
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So happy to know some of you have the same thoughts on this! In a somewhat tangential offshoot, I thought this was interesting because I’ve seen so so so many of these about women but none about men’s beauty standards!
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Yes!!! And far from the only historical disabled person worth mentioning. In SAT terms:
Marie Curie : Female Scientist as Helen Keller : Disabled Person
LOL. 
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Today I learned about The Wilhelm Scream (nothing bad, only funny and very worth checking out). I look forward to hearing it in my next movie 
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Great read!
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“I’m undeniable” is such a rad thing to think/feel/say about yourself.
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I just wish I could tweak the headline, haha.
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Yup!!
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Have you read Erik Weihenmayer’s book?
He is blind and climbed Mount Everest.
I remember hearing about that when he did it, but I always thought, OK, so someone led a blind guy up there, good for him. I mean, it’s HARD, but it’s guided and whatever. Too many people climb that mountain, it’s not that surprising someone could do it blind.
Turns out he actually does a lot of LEAD climbing. I feel bad because I really discounted how freaking incredible of a climber he actually is.
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I haven’t read that book but I’m aware of him! And lots of blind paraclimbers climb lead! Many even set new routes that didn’t exist prior. Even those who don’t climb lead are still amazing athletes working on hard mode, especially as they still can’t see what they’re doing. Unfortunately a lot of headlines are much like you described, in relation to disabled people in general. It’s often: BRAVE ABLE PERSON HELPS POOR DISABLED FRIEND DO ACHIEVEMENT. Many times that’s not the real story, it’s just hard for non disabled people to conceive that people with disabilities can do things that aren’t “impressive for a disabled person” but simply: “impressive for a person”.
I think that’s also why disability gets erased from historical figures if they’re a bit too genius or talented or impactful, bc they can’t also actually be disabled- but they were impressive…so they must not be disabled! Lots of mental gymnastics, lol. Because what does it mean to be disabled or able, especially if you happen to be able and you see disabled people doing stuff that you can’t do or think you can’t do. I think that makes some non disabled people v weirded out and self conscious.
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I admit, I’ve been an armchair mountaineer for so long that I’m not impressed with “I climbed Everest” because it seems everyone climbs everest. (Um, not me- I do recognize that it is freaking hard and I can’t do it. But after say, 1990, climbing it became more about paying for it…) But when I read about his other climbs, and his rock climbing, that was impressive. El Capitan in a day? Impressive for ANYONE.
Maybe I should be more impressed by Everest, but it seems like way too many people who would never make it up another mountain on their own get up there.
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Its like the opposite of “Youngest person to own 10 houses” but they’re full of family money and connections. The disabled people did the incredible thing! That kid just got a leg up from rich parents!
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Totally! So many writers are from privileged backgrounds, but don’t fully realize it, so that makes sense. And with disability I think it’s because when the writer reads the story initially they genuinely think, “wow that was so nice of the friend!” because they naturally relate to the able person in the story. Whereas I would think, “wow what a badass para athlete” because that’s who I relate to in the story.
I suspect that’s also why other coverage on disability issues often centers around able partners, parents, special ed teachers, health care providers, etc. and why people bring up the issues those people face to disabled people so often. It’s like they’re concerned we don’t know the immense struggle of serving people like us because they relate to the caregivers and their difficulties more easily.
Also what would be a funny headline for the young person buys 10 houses story? Maybe:
Generational Wealth Succeeds Again! or Offspring of Wealthy People Still Wealthy or maybe 10 Reasons Why You Should Get a Trust Fund!
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I think this one is an excellent clickbait and switch like a normal person reading and going “oh ok a trust fund is a good idea ok” and then the reasons are “to avoid tax on your $500k salary by distributing amongst family members”
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