Previous lessons sought to provide students with a foundational understanding of disability. Lesson 1 discussed the phenomenon of stereotyping and its social implications for persons with disabilities in particular. Lesson 3 provided a historical context to situate where many of these stereotypes and attitudes regarding the disability community first originated. Lessons 2 and 4 provided students with the technical competencies to complete different components of their assessments throughout the unit. This lesson and each subsequent one will focus on a specific disability stereotype perpetuated in the media, its controversies, implications and other relevant themes. By focusing on a different disability stereotype in each lesson, students will begin to critically understand how the media can be used to shape our opinions about people with disabilities and the various consequences that this has.
In this lesson, students will focus on “disability as pity.” This misconception is linked to the notion that disability should be pitied and that persons with disabilities must necessarily be living unfulfilling lives. While the media did not create this stereotype, it has worked to perpetuate it in a number of ways, and video examples will be drawn upon to demonstrate this. A related activity (comparing two controversial fundraising techniques) will also be used in this lesson to encourage students to think about how frequently disability is framed as something to be pitied – something that implies a lack of self worth – and how this very stereotype is often invoked as a form of charity.
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
(5 min.) Introduction showing the Media Awareness Network article, which provides a good overview of three examples of stereotypes associated with persons with disabilities: "they're all the same," victimization (or pity), heroism, and villainess. This lesson addresses the notion of disability as pity, which can be seen in classic literature as much as in new-age media (e.g. Tiny Tim in Dickens' A Christmas Carol or David Merrick in The Elephant Man).
(5 min.) Discuss where this stereotype may have originated. This list can be exhaustive and can date back to the Bible itself. Some examples were touched upon in lesson 3 and can be expanded here: in lesson 3 the idea of the "deserving" versus "undeserving" poor was introduced. This was a distinction made by charity workers in the 1800's to decide which individuals were worthy of financial or other assistance. Persons with disabilities (then given much more derogatory names) were considered deserving poor by default simply because it was assumed that they were unable to lead a successful and fulfilling life due to their physical limitations.
(8 min.) Mini-discussion: Discuss with students how the categories of the deserving versus undeserving poor are linked to the stereotype of disability as pity. Ask students to name other examples in either history or contemporary society when disability is treated as something to be pitied. (for example, current welfare policies in many places do not include stipulations that permit persons with disabilities to work in addition to receiving social assistance. Perhaps this is because it is assumed that they don't need to work? Allow students to comment).
(10 min.) Hand out a copy of a recent fundraising letter written by a blindness organization to attract donations. This fundraising letter was eventually retracted because many members of the blindness community found the statements in the letter insulting, offensive and drawing upon the "disability as pity" notion to large extents. After explaining the background of this situation, students will be given an opportunity to read through the short fundraising letter on their own.
(8 min.) Mini-discussion: What language is used to invoke the disability as pitty stereotype in this letter? How can this letter be rewritten to more positively (and accurately) portray persons with visual impairments, while still attracting donations?
(10 min.) With reference to the Johnson article, briefly outline the controversy often revolving around television telethons. In specific, the Jerry Lewis telethon has attracted a great deal of controversy for the language and images often used to attract donations. After providing a background of the controversy (for those who may not have read the entire article for class), ask students the following questions:
(4 min.) To sum up, show the video clip Thumbs Down To Pity!
(5 min.) Finally, the teacher will explain the homework assignment linked to today's lesson and students will be dismissed.