January 12, 2011 Question L: The Social Construction of Disability

This video was very empowering as it artistically stood up for moving beyond the notions of the human body in its cultural existence of ‘perfection’, proving that people with disabilities can exist within societal ‘perfection’, as they too exists within our cultural environment and perfection is simply inexistent. In Susan Wendell’s article, The Social Construction of Disability, she explains how subtle cultural factors that determine a ‘standard of normality’ and exclude those who do not meet these standards. (pg. 477) This video creates the image that people with disabilities can move beyond these notions and overcome these standards, as the physical conditions of our society foolishly repudiate the worth of an individual’s own idea of perfection and power. As people personify what the ‘perfect’ dancer is, we cannot forget that our world is so multifaceted, and perfection is indefinable. Our society cannot overcome the obsession with ‘perfection’, and it seemingly enables a cycle of progressive prejudice. The issues of disability lie stagnant as the notion of perfection overpowers our culture. Wendell goes on to explain how our society cyclically perpetuates these notions, as disability becomes more and more socially constructed through the failure and willingness to create ability between everybody, even those who do not fit the physical or mental profile of what’s physically ‘paradign’, leaving the issues of disability unaddressed and selfishly unattended for. (pg 179)