This the ninth post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. Metaphorical Disability Disability is frequently used as a metaphor, especially for negative things. This can happen when disabled characters are used to symbolically represent something about the world around them…

This the eighth post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. One-Dimensional Disability There is a tendency in United States culture to treat privileged identities as the norm. This means that white, straight, able-bodied, cisgender men (to name just a few…

This the seventh post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. Fragile Body, Magic Mind Of the protagonists who have physical disabilities that significantly impact their lives, nearly all of them are given mind-focused powers to the exclusion of all other…

This the sixth post of my Trope of the Week Series. Many classic fairy tales involve magical cures for illness and disability. For example, at the end of Rapunzel the prince is blinded by thorns and then wanders for years until he finally finds Rupunzel again. Thereupon they embrace and…

This the fifth post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. The internet is full of inspiring quotes and videos about disability. While they may seem uplifting at first, underneath them are many harmful messages. This damaging kind of inspiration frequently…

This the fourth post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. Helpless Disability The repeated association of disability with charity portrays disabled people as pitiable, vulnerable, and pathetic. The character of Tiny Tim from The Christmas Carol is a classic example…

This the third post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. Another common pattern happens when a disabled character gains magic or technology that gives them the same abilities as an able-bodied person. A classic example of this is Luke Skywalker’s…

This the second post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. Bitter Disability This is the pattern of portraying disabled characters as deeply bitter about their lives and their disabilities. Shakespeare’s Richard III is a classic example of this life-consuming bitterness…

This the first post of my Trope of the Week Series — you can read more of the series here. Villainous Disability A disproportionate number of disabled characters are villains. Including prominent examples like Darth Vader and Captain Hook, the disabilities of these villains are used to make them more…