#disability in fiction

[on-wednesdays-we-eat-the-rich]

So I'm having thoughts about LOTR. Specifically the ending. And the fanfiction that rewrites the ending. Bear with me.

So we all know that LOTR ends with Frodo leaving Middle Earth and going to the Undying Lands, right. And we all know that he does this because all the events of the story have had such an impact on him that they've left him quite traumatised and not really able to live life the way he used to. And we can probably all guess that this is a reflection of how Tolkien may have thought about his trauma after fighting in the First World War.

The ending makes sense considering the time the book was written, because in the 1940's and 50's, people didn't know as much about mental health and disability as they do now, and there weren't as many ways to help people manage disabilities other than institutionalising them or like. Giving them cocaine or something idk. So it's reasonable to assume that because Tolkien didn't see many ways that people could live with disabilities and be happy, he couldn't write them into LOTR and instead basically just put Frodo in Middle Earth's equivalent of Heaven and said "there you go, you're all better now".

I like this as a sort of tragic ending. I mean, you can't deny that someone being so drastically changed by an experience means they can't enjoy the things they grew up with is pretty tragic. The ending does make sense. But I kind of hate it.

I don't think it was written badly or anything, and I'm not trying to dismiss Tolkien's experiences that influenced this ending. My issue with it is that, when you look at it through a modern lens, it has vaguely ableist connotations. Specifically the idea that disabled people (Frodo) can't live full lives and be happy in the real world (Middle Earth) and can therefore only be happy when they're "cured" or when they die and go to Heaven (the Undying Lands).

Now obviously LOTR is an old book and it's important to consider the time it was created when analysing it, as you would do with any other piece of classic literature. A lot of old books have some outdated language and concepts in them, simply because that was normal back then. And until very recently, we probably wouldn't have thought the ending of LOTR was in any way problematic. And it might not have been, because it's not really the fact that Tolkien wrote that ending that's an issue; it's the fact that the way the world worked back then made it near impossible to even think about any other ending.

Since the book was written, though, there have been a lot of advancements in science and research into disabilities, and there are now much more effective ways to treat and manage them. There's medication and therapy for physical and mental issues, and there are lots of accommodations that we can and should put in place to make life easier for everyone. Back in the 1940's, Tolkien wouldn't have had these things, and therefore didn't consider them to be options when writing about what happens to Frodo at the end of the story. But now, we do have them, and it's this progress that has discredited the idea that disabled people can't be happy in the real world, and subsequently made LOTR's ending seem outdated by today's standards.

Now this is where the fanfiction comes in.

LOTR readers these days, who are aware of the progress we've made as a society and the new ways people view and treat minorities, often write fanfiction that puts things into Tolkien's universe that wouldn't have otherwise been there because of when the books were written, from openly queer characters to characters living good, happy lives with disabilities. And I think this is a good thing and it's really nice to see, especially in regards to Frodo's disability. I like seeing people work out how he might accommodate himself in the world of Middle Earth, and how the other characters would help him with that. I like that sometimes people have to get creative when figuring out how he would cope with trauma and chronic pain, because obviously Middle Earth doesn't have a lot of the things we have in the real world.

I like that we can finally give Frodo a chance to recover in a more realistic way than just sending him to the afterlife. I like that we can finally allow him to live.

A lot of Tolkien purists complain about new adaptations and fanfiction because "it's not what Tolkien wrote so he wouldn't like it". First of all, why do we still care about the opinions of a man who's been dead for over fifty years? What are you going to do, summon his ghost to haunt all the fanfic writers? Hold a seance to find out exactly what he thinks? Good luck with that.

Second of all, I honestly believe this is something he would approve of. He went on living after the First World War, but he didn't get to live with the disability accommodations we have today. And because he didn't, neither did Frodo. We can't give Tolkien the life many disabled people have now, but we can give it to his tragic hero. We can make his story a little less tragic. And if Tolkien was here now, of all the tropes we're using in LOTR fanfiction, it wouldn't surprise me if "Frodo stays in the Shire" is one he could get behind.

#lord of the rings #lotr #frodo baggins #tolkien #disability #disability in media #disability in fiction #fanfiction #i'm back on my essay-writing bullshit #this just came to me like five minutes ago and i wrote this instead of doing what i should be doing which is showering #so that's fun #just articulating my thoughts over here don't mind me

[batneko]

It's really important to me that in the end Mithrun is NOT cured. He's got a new outlook, a will to live, and according to side materials he can live on his own as long as he sticks to a schedule, but his problems are not cured. He still doesn't have the desires that were eaten and he never will.

So while I love the idea of him getting a service dog as much as anybody (a lot!) I don't want to just pretend he'll never need a caretaker again. Some people need a carer for the rest of their lives and that's fine. That's just a part of their life!

#dungeon meshi spoilers #mithrun of the house of kerensil #mithrun #disability in fiction

[gaynaturalistghost]

Disabled characters in ttrpg/fantasy ARE cool, narratively interesting, and should be a part of the lore/worldbuilding process. It’s good writing, plain and simple. If you choose “disabled people don’t exist bc ✨magic✨” you’re boring.

Here are some examples: dryads with connective tissue disorders. Lignin and cellulose are great but can form an excess of rigid scar tissue after injury, or interrupting cellular structure and creating a spot that can be re-injured. Using braces or tying joints might help.

Spell casting with a stutter: I will probably play this character eventually. I have aphasia and a stutter, so my characters have stutters by default, and I always wondered how that would affect spells with verbal components. Aphasia has made my brain replace a word in a sentence with a random one. Ex “I put Rosemary in ice cubes to make it last longer” became “I put watermelon in ice cubes to make it last longer” and every time I retried the sentence I kept saying watermelon. Or “my road is just up the school”. I think rolling wild magic for verbal spells could be cool, and doesn’t just ‘punish or nerf’ characters for being disabled, cool and good stuff could happen.

I also did a visually impaired character. It’s a bit more intense than what I have, my eyes always have really big pupils so I never had to get them dilated at the optometrist. When you have photosensitivity it sucks and is very painful. Divination as an accommodation is really interesting to me, and using tinted glasses (just polarized sunglasses or pink fl41 for me) helps.

Any other disabled folks feel free to add on!

#dnd character #dnd #dnd art #ttrpg art #ttrpg stuff #disability #disability in fiction #disability in dnd #disability in ttrpg #artists on tumblr #character design #concept art #dnd character art #art #illustration #dnd writing #writing #writing a disabled character

[earthstellar]

Concept: TFP Ratchet with a cane.

Maybe he gets called out to assist in the field after someone gets injured, but in the process he gets thrown around by a Vehicon and it's one blow too many to a joint, perhaps his right hip or knee, and it cracks and misaligns.

Sure, once he addresses the injuries of the others, he gets up on his examination table (with Optimus' help) and gives himself a good look-over, he can get it back in the socket reasonably well, but it's just not fully repairable with their limited resources on Earth -- and his age and general wear over so many centuries means it's a trickier repair with a longer recovery time.

He can't really fix it, and it's not really going to heal on its own.

The fracture welds need strong nanites to fully integrate, and his nanites are pretty tired. The damage to the socket means the joint could slip out of place again relatively easily.

So, he makes himself a cane, and even though he doesn't say it out loud, he's very glad that the others hold back any comments they might have about it.

Because he is now well and truly unable to go out in the field at all for the foreseeable future.

Even if he utilises his alt-mode, off roading in the rocky desert terrain of rural Nevada is too much physical strain on his injured joint. His shock absorbers just can't manage it.

So he fits himself with a limb brace to hopefully help prevent any repeat misalignments, but he can't put all that much weight on it. He can't fully rotate it, which limits his range of movement a bit.

He's slower, he has to be more careful, he can't stand at his terminal or his work station for so long anymore.

It's a difficult adjustment.

Rafael helps.

He notices how much Ratchet is struggling at first, and does his best to distract him by asking him to sit and teach him more Cybertronian, teach him more alien coding, help him with another school project.

Anything he can do to remind Ratchet that he is still so important and useful and irreplaceable.

And the others linger around a bit (but not too obviously, or so they think) in an effort to help where they can, too.

If his cane slips out of his grip, Bumblebee is there to pick it up. When he can't get himself up on his examination table to monitor his welds, Optimus picks him up and sets him down.

When he gets too anxious or depressed about not being as able to assist in the field anymore, the others take the opportunity to get a break in and wait around a little longer if they can, just to reassure Ratchet that they're OK and they're watching each other's backs and they'll keep him updated and they love him all the same.

Optimus is always through the ground bridge first, always gives a full report to Ratchet; When they are at base together, Optimus is found with Ratchet more often than not. As much time as they can spend together, they do. Ratchet wants all the details, and Optimus wants to be there for his old friend.

After a while, Ratchet starts to teach the others basic field first aid, out of the sheer anxiety of worrying about not being able to go out and assess/retrieve anyone on the field himself.

Everyone tolerates it at first out of a desire to reassure Ratchet that they actually can take care of themselves and each other, but the knowledge very much does come in handy, in more ways than one.

Does it make Ratchet feel a little bit more like he's not needed as much anymore? Inevitably, a little bit, yes.

But everyone does their best to make sure Ratchet is involved in everything he can be, everything he wants to be, as much as possible.

They might know how to identify and solder someone's primary fuel line in an emergency scenario now, but nothing and nobody can replace their medic.

Eventually Bulkhead and Wheeljack surprise him by making him a custom Cybertronian style wheelchair so he can get around the base a little easier when walking with the cane is a little too difficult for him, so he doesn't have to keep getting up and sitting down over and over again.

Agent Fowler makes it clear that if they need to redesign the base to accommodate more space for Ratchet to get around, he can and will make that happen at any time. Whatever is needed,he'll deal with any whining from his higher ups.

Ratchet may or may not have been genuinely touched by this; If you heard him get choked up, no you didn't. :')

Eventually Ratchet does adjust, but the first few weeks/months are hard for him.

But all the support, subtle or otherwise, from his teammates and the humans alike makes it easier and easier to get used to.

(And he is proud of Rafael's progress with Cybertronian language. Time well spent, even if it's not being spent in the field anymore.)

IDK just thinking while I'm on my lunch break lol

#disability in fiction #tfp #transformers prime #tfp ratchet #tfp raf #tfp bumblebee #tfp bulkhead #tfp wheeljack #tfp optimus prime #disability pride month #maccadam #maccadams #long post #agent fowler

[jameyannefuller]

Authors, revealing a character has a disability during a pivotal moment in the climax of your book is not the brilliant twist you think it is.

It's a cheap trick, and it reveals that you either haven't actually done your research on the disability you're representing or you think the shock value is more important.

Let's break this down.

Having a disability is a fundamental part of your life. It affects everything you do and every choice you make, even if you would describe yourself as fully independent, you're still living with a disability.

For example, I have a prosthetic eye. The lack of vision on that side affects where I sit or stand and how I look at things, even which hands I use for visual tasks (I started drawing with my left hand after I lost my right eye and it was not a deliberate choice). But I also have to take the eye out and clean it regularly, and it's horrific during allergy season let me tell you. Having a prosthetic eye doesn't stop me from living my best life, and neither does my limited vision in my left eye, but it's still something I have to accommodate.

Taking that part of a character's life and withholding it from the reader for a cool plot twist is essentially lying about a fundamental part of a character's life which has surely shaped who the character is and how they view the world, and I can think of no good reason to do that. You want to withhold the truth from other characters? Be my guest. But this isn't something you can withhold from the reader without feeling like you're lying to deliver a gut punch later, or worse, erasing the character's disability except when it's plot important. And consider the nuance and tension you could add to the story by showing this part of their character from the beginning.

If the story and craft reasons haven't convinced you, consider the good that can come of positive representations of characters with disabilities being the heroes of their own stories, with their disability. And consider how it feels to have your disability used as a plot twist with no thought to what that disability means for the rest of the character's life.

#writing advice #writing tips #books #disability in fiction #representation matters

[that-gay-jedi]

Society if fandoms made presumed-abled characters disabled more often:

#disability in fiction #fandom #disability #representation #fanfiction #feeling spicy tonight & not in the sexy way lmao #i mean in star wars it's weird cause like everyone is disabled but the representation is questionable af #but like... we make entire canon casts queer in a heartbeat #make disability so present that the existence of abled characters has to be justified instead of the other way around

[salted-bird]

One of the things I love about Limbus' Abnormality encounters, besides how cool the designs are, is the way the game uses them to tackle the topic of performative empathy vs actual empathy.

You can't just try to fix an Abnormality's core problems and expect it to work. And it's not because the Abnormality will attack you before you get the chance to do anything, rather, following this approach is a consistent way to hit your own party with demerits due to the simple fact that YOU ARE THE ONE HURTING THE ABNO IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Trying to remove the Umbrella Fox's umbrellas is incredibly painful for it because it involves tearing off chunks of its flesh, mimicking the Weeping Toad's cry will cause it to flee because what it actually wanted was someone who would listen, removing the brambles will make the Bride and Groom sad because it means you are destroying their home, giving water to a blazing metal bull obviously isn't going to help, etc.

Your intentions can be good, but as the Umbrella Fox itself puts it, solutions without "forethought" have the potential to be incredibly harmful.

Which brings me to the similarities this has with IRL ableism, and how often body-abled people will tell you to do X thing under the claim that it will help you feel better (or even cure you) without considering the implications of their own suggestions for a single second. Some wonderful examples of this are telling someone with a respiratory disease or injury to just "take a deep breath", telling a person with chronic fatigue to "go jogging, it will give you more energy" or recommending to an autistic individual that they "learn common sense".

I'm sure you can imagine yourself (or know from first-hand experience, sadly) the rest of horrible 'magical solutions' disabled people have to hear on a regular basis, so back to the point, this type of acts share the same kind of impulsive and patronizing empathy as the "help(?) this Abnormality" choices in Limbus Company.

Not only do they not help anyone at all, in reality they are an active detriment to the physical and emotional wellbeing of the target you are supposedly trying to help with the action. In the end, the only benefit obtained is that you get to say you TRIED to help someone, hence the performative part of this behaviour, it makes you look good to others and to yourself by awarding you some imaginary reputation points that mean nothing.

Now it's very possible that you are thinking (or not) something about the lines of: "But hey, I unplugged the electric sheep being sacrificed to fuel a city, and I also sprinkled water on the tree suffering from a drought, I did have success helping a handful of the Abnos!".

This may appear to contradict my logic as described above, but I want you to consider a key difference between the Abnormalities the game does let you help and those for whom trying to do so is an insult. The former group suffers from external circumstances that can be changed through concrete actions, the latter faces permanent issues because of the very way they are.

So on the first camp;

-The Electric Sheep doesn't suffer because it's electric, it's suffers due to being exploited for energy.

-The Desert Twiggy Ghost Tree doesn't suffer because it's allergic to water, it suffers because it doesn't have access to any water.

-Similarly, the Electric Centipede only suffers because people are experimenting on it and you choose how to torture it.

You can liken them to disabled people with low-support needs, whose difficulties would in theory go away once you implement a social model of disability because the problems they face are, as the name implies, mainly social.

Now, contrast this with how for example, removing the brambles from the Rose Thorns Cross involves destroying its very body, and you should notice the theme Limbus is trying to convey through these encounters; Nobody is the same.

Sure, jumping the gun may work sometimes, if the problem is small enough to be dealt with through individual action, but more often than not the reality of what the other person is going through is so different from yours that an attempt to force your own experiences and judgement on them is only going to result in pain, and what's worse, pain for both parties if you genuinely were trying to help.

Which is not to say there's no point in desiring to offer help, my favourite part about how Limbus handles its event choices is that it teaches you a lesson about the value of simple understanding.

Tearing off its umbrellas won't help the fox, but going past its threatening appearance to show that you care by petting it will, the same goes for the gloomy frog that is so grateful to you for listening to its woes that it leaves one of its eyes behind as a gift. You don't need to change the Abnormalities' nature as Abnormalities to make them happy, being there for them and accepting them as they are is more than enough.

I could write more about the parallels between Abnormalities as a group of "non-humans" that go against the general idea of normal while existing solely to be exploited for resources and the way IRL disabled people are exploited by doctors and pharmaceutical companies for easy money while society at large doesn't care, but in the end the message is simple, imagine a world where instead of treating them like children or even complaining about them, abled people showed those with disabilities this type of empathy, the real type.

#limbus company #disability in fiction #ableism #disability #project moon

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

You know, I'm medium on Mech Cadets in general but I am SHOCKED to see a piece of relatively mainstream media that acknowledges that prosthetics are not a magical limb replacement or that amputees might prefer life without them.

#disability in fiction #it's undoubtedly because the stars aligned to have the voice actor also be an amputee but I'll take a win where I can get it #mech cadets

[eveningspirit]

Chicago PD, I dare you. I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek with permanent injury resulting from being shot, point blank, in the chest.

I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek struggling to deal with his new reality.

I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek being angry and snapping at people.

I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek arguing with Kim, because no, she doesn't get it; her situation was different.

I dare you to give me Kim Burgess being upset, because damn it, she's been taking care of him since day one and he's ungrateful.

I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek working the desk -- with TRUDY freakin' PLATT, no less.

I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek going through however many stages of grief over his lost career.

I dare you to give me Trudy freakin' Platt tearing him a new one for being a whiny baby.

I dare you to give me Kim Burgess defending Adam.

I dare you to give me Adam learning to cope with his new reality.

I dare you to give me Makayla being a loving, upset, scared, joyful, annoying, beautiful, loving child she is. Give me Makayla loving her Dad no matter what.

I dare you to give me Adam Ruzek being grateful for still being alive.

Give me Adam and Kevin being friends. Maybe Kevin being awkward, or maybe not. Just. Reacting to Adam being different now.

Give me Kim supporting Adam in his new reality.

Give me Adam accepting his new reality.

Give me Adam having a setback.

Give me Adam making progress again.

And having another setback, because that's how life is.

Give me Adam and Kim and Makayla being together and having a great life, despite Adam's injury, despite it affecting his functioning in smaller and larger ways.

Give me a character surviving a serious injury, and getting through its aftermath (you have that Chicago Med show for crying out loud; guest appearances anyone?), without resorting to a "magical healing" device.

Can you do that Chi PD?

Can you?

I dare you.

And, if you don't, well... I'm not saying I'll write that fanfic, but I will certainly WANT TO write that fanfic. ;)

#chicago pd #one chicago #adam ruzek #jay halstead #kim burgess #trudy platt #kevin atwater #chicago med #disability representation #disability in media #chronic illness #anti magical healing #permanent injury in media #permanent injury in fiction #disability in fiction

[brainrotallthewaydown1312]

does anybody have recommendations for books, shows, or movies that have good representation for physical disabilities, autism, or polyamory? especially recs with representation that isn't the central focus of the story. I've been looking for stuff to read and watch with this kind of rep and I'm struggling to find good stuff. i like most genres, although with books I tend towards ya

#disability representation #disability #physical disability #disability in fiction #actually disabled #autistic #actually autistic #autistic representation #polyamory #polyamory representation #polyamory in fiction #reading recs #show recs #book recommendations #recommendation

[lexiconne]

Dumb Writer Needs Help Writing Disability!!

So, I have this project I've been working on that has come together really nicely here lately. It's on its rewrite phase, and I really want to make sure it's exactly the way I want it to be this time.

However! I am going to be writing about several main characters with physical disabilities, and as I have no personal experience and very little other experience with their disabilities, I'd like to ask those who do for input.

I have already done research! However, it can be just as valuable if not more so to ask the source directly for personal recounts, and I tend to have trouble reading/really comprehending/remembering resources that are worded too stiffly. I have the basic terms down (I think), but I want to know: what's something that irritates you about the disability on a day to day basis? What's something you find comforting about it? Are there any positives you'd like to express? Any little neutral happenings that just go along with it? Think how glasses wearers (me) know that touching the lenses is the WORST thing to do, and rain is a MASSIVE pain in the butt. Just little things that I can perhaps include and make the characters and their experiences seem more authentic.

I currently have:

a Deaf character (can only hear very faint sounds) who has special Magic Fantasy Hearing Aids™ to help magnify existing sound to whatever degree he needs. They do have downsides and are not perfect, and he makes frequent references to being Deaf; they're not a magical way to make him un-disabled when convenient, just a disability aid that would exist in this world in their time period. He's been Deaf since birth.

a character who loses a limb (her leg) and creates her own robotic prosthetic. This has world-specific drawbacks like needing to be oiled, getting too hot or cold, etc. but I would love to include real-world ones too. (I know next to nothing about prosthetics ^.^*)

A character who has her voice sealed away via a curse, making her speech-impaired (mute? Is that offensive?) in that she cannot form words. Sounds can be made, but they cause pain. This one is more heavily tied to the fantasy aspect and while I can make up my own rules for a curse, I'd like to include some real-world similar experiences to make it seem more grounded.

(The first and third one meet and he teaches her sign language!)

Please feel free to mention any aspects you want or point out if I've said something you find odd! Plus, if you have any more resources you want to link like official articles and such, that would be so appreciated. This is a learning post. <3

Thank you for your patience, time, and energy!

_

TLDR: need help from disabled peoples! Please infodump on me!

#disability #disabilities #disability aids #disability in fiction #disability in media #disability in writing #writing #writing help #need help #need advice #help #teach me #physical disability #deaf #deafness #prosthetics #prosthetic leg #prosthetic limbs #speech impairment #hearing aids #disabled characters #disabled oc

[the-mountain-flower]

A fantasy worldbuilding thing I made that would also make sense in Urban Fantasy & I might use it more often:

Context: One of my fantasy characters has a bag that can magically hold more than its physical volume on the inside (ik it's rlly common but that's bc it's damn convenient in fantasy settings & I have them exist in all of my fantasy worlds lol), and the character who has that bag is also an ambulatory wheelchair user who also uses a cane depending on what she needs. In a fantasy adventure setting, it made perfect sense that she can put these in her magic bag.

Then I noticed the difficulty that would be getting it through the bag's opening (especially for the wheelchair). So I made it so that she could shrink and enlarge her mobility aids for easy storage when she isn't using them (like shrinking smn to put in a bag of holding in D&D).

And I realized that would be AMAZING for an urban fantasy setting!! Is your ambulatory-mobility-aid-user-character travelling without collapsible/travel-size mobility aids? Or just going somewhere and worrying about needing a different kind of aid than they were using when they left? Magic shrink & enlarge, bring them all with you! Dealing with inaccessible architecture, getting the wheelchair over the turnstile will be much easier & less annoying. The big one that made me realize this would be perfect for urban fantasy: they wouldn't need to worry about airports fucking up their wheelchair (for those who don't know, traveling by plane with a wheelchair can be a nightmare bc it's very likely the staff will end up breaking the rules & therefore breaking the chair).

#definitely using this #yet another example of 'magic would make disabled lives so much easier bc abled ppl refuse to stop making them harder' #writing stuff #writing #writer #writing rambles #writing disability #writing disabled characters #urban fantasy #fantasy #disability #disability in fiction #disability in fantasy #magic accessibility #edited

[earthstellar]

A lot of mini-bots (and quite a few other bots) have what might be considered neurodivergent traits (or have been confirmed as such), and I wonder if certain frame types or classes --or Cybertronians in general-- might have physically type-specific processor structures which allow for greater diversity of thought, and if some frame types or spark types might be more or less likely to have or develop neurodivergent traits

We know the Quintessons fucked with the Well of All Sparks in the Aligned Continuity which had unknown effects, and in IDW 1 given the spark as the core of a person's individual spirit (for lack of any better phrasing), it would make sense for Cybertronian sparks to imbue individual personality etc. while the processors are physical hardware with software flexibility to permit and adapt to those unique aspects of self

For example, in the continuities where spark development influences protoform development and therefore what type of frame a bot might ultimately have, it is still simultaneously possible to alter a frame to some degree with armour changes, mass manipulation, etc. (and in most continuities, alt-modes can be altered as well, to at least some degree within the range of someone's core specs)

But the processor and spark are the two things that generally (although we have seen some exceptions to this) cannot be physically altered without incurring significant damage-- Making them some of the few constant components in a species designed to physically change

Sparks have significant individual variation in terms of the personality etc. that evolves from each unique spark, so perhaps processors have some physical elements designed to best accommodate a certain frame type, while also allowing for individual experiences and perception etc. to form unique thought pathways for each individual -- This would allow for any Quintesson or Functionism-related frame alterations or requirements, while also still enabling a spark to produce a unique person as it forms and as experiences accumulate

Sort of like genetics vs epigenetics in human beings; Some things are physical and structural, but some things are informed by environment, experience, etc.

It's interesting that we do seem to see a lot of mini-bots specifically who might fall into a neurodivergent category or exhibit behaviours or thought process that might reasonably fall under the category, but of course it's not universal so there is still greater variation

Although characterisation varies from series to series, here's a couple examples:

Cliffjumper tends to have impulse control problems that are sometimes similar to ADHD impulse control problems, and he sometimes has difficulty prioritising or hyperfixates on one aspect of a situation, leading him to reach the wrong conclusion or focusing on the slightly wrong thing; He also struggles to manage frustration. This could all be related to something similar to executive dysfunction, as it commonly manifests in humans with ADHD.

Bumblebee seems to be conflict-avoidant to some degree in most continuities, and aside from that being part of his friendly nature and kind disposition, it might also hint at something similar to rejection sensitive dysphoria, or a greater sensitivity and emotional response to perceived interpersonal conflict or perceived failure. Some versions of Bumblebee have particularly struggled when faced with high stakes/high risk of failure scenarios, and he has a tendency to internalise blame, directing it towards himself even when a failure is not necessarily his fault or even truly a failed mission. This is often comorbid with Autism and ADHD in humans, but it can also exist on its own.

It's not just mini-bots; Misfire canonically has ADHD in IDW 1, Geomotus in IDW 2 is Autistic and his neurodivergency is even highlighted by other characters, and so on.

So all of this (and how it might work) varies from continuity to continuity, but I just like thinking about how neurodivergent bots do exist, and how that happens and how it manifests and how it is perceived by others and by society at large is interesting

In IDW 2, neurodivergency seems to be viewed in a more understanding and positive light. But in IDW 1, neurodivergency may be viewed in a more ableist way under the Functionist system, and in the Aligned Continuity, perhaps neurodivergency is seen as a potential indication of Quintesson alteration of the Well or of the individual themselves (this would depend on a bot's age).

We don't have too many details on Cybertronian medicine in general, but it's interesting to think about!

It's 8 AM I'm gonna go have a tea now lol

#long post #cybertronian medicine #minibots #maccadams #maccadam #medbay posting #idw 1 #idw transformers #idw 2 #aligned continuity #tf speculation #just thinkin #transformers #tfp #quintessons #disability in fiction #disability in media #tw brief mention of ableism

[gaynaturalistghost]

It’s kel! From an old worldbuilding project

And I was watching one of the paintball community episodes

#kel #naiad #Licha #art #worldbuilding #disability in fiction #she’s my baby girl #my hot mess #my silly rabbit #she’s gonna anger the gods #and have a good time doing it

[engagemythrusters]

It would be nice if Star Wars actually treated their "good" disabled characters as actual disabled characters.

We see a lot of "bad" disabled characters have viewable disabling disabilities (ex: the latest The Bad Batch episode featured a cane-user with a prosthetic arm. This man was a hoarder of resources, and quite greedy and self-serving. Disability=hoarding resources is a TERRIBLE thing for Star Wars to highlight, but there they just went. That's a whole post I can make on its own, but I digress.)

But there are so few times that Star Wars truly acknowledges its disabled characters' disability in a positive light. It is always swept under the rug and forgotten about. This is what we have for our disabled "good" characters:

Anakin's hand only ever has problems twice--both of which aren't even true issues. His hand just gets caught by magnets. That's it. Sure, one time a little spark went through it durring the Zillo Beast arc, but despite all other mechanical appliances dying and short-circuting, Anakin's mechanical prosthetic does NOT. They didn't want to show Anakin without the use of his hand. Oh and he's turned into the "bad" character when his disability becomes actually acknowledged. Facisit disabled person... how charming (sarcasm).

Luke's prosthetic hand also does not cause him any true issues--again, minor inconveniences.

Echo's prosthetics are not acknowledged, ever. They act as if Echo has two hands, and he's constantly seen holding stuff as if he has two hands. Sorry, but he can't balance a giant ass box on a scomp like that. He would have to compensate--move his arm so that it balances differently.

Tech does not need to be more than autistic-coded. It's not a requirement to label everything. However, he has only had issues with his autism once. That's a good first step! But it's just a first step. Not to mention, he's a whitewashed savant. This is the most blatant, frustrating autism stereotype. I've already made a post about this.

Kanan and Chirrut's blindness is perhaps the most visibly disabling disability in any of the shows; however, said blindness is magically compensated for by the Force. They both still struggles with many things, which is a good change of pace, but ultimatley, it's not the representation it's meant to be. And, for Kanan, it is CURED at the end, before he DIES. Chirrut ALSO dies. I think that speaks for itself.

Yes, they are still disabled. That is not in question. But it's repackaged in a 'non-disabling' sense. Because why show disability when everything can be magically fixed? Why show disabled characters having realistic issues with their disability when it could be disabled characters made palatable for an abled audience?

Yes, a good number of disabled people would like to be, for lack of a truly appropriate term, ""fixed"" (a whole different topic, though--and a huge one at that). I don't doubt many amputees would probably like the a prosthetic like Anakin's. And yes, it would be nice to be so easily and readily accepted as disabled people like they are in Star Wars.

However.

The continued treatment of disabled people as if they aren't disabled is a massive problem in today's, real-life world. Because we don't have that luxury of being treated as nicely. So as great as it is to dream of a life where we're accepted as normal, IT IS IMPORTANT TO VIEW THEIR DISABILITY AS NORMAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

It is necessary to see openly disabled people being clearly disabled, while still being viewed as equal, "normal" people. When disability is only shown openly as disabling when it is for the greedy or the facists... that is ableist writing.

All I want is for a main character to be openly disabled, in a disabling way, rather than just magically fixed and unacknowledged. Disability representation can only go so far when it is just "hey, here's a disabled character." We need them to be acknowledged as disabled, too.

#how many times do blind people have to say 'hey can you stop giving characters magical sight-like abilities?' #because i can't tell you how many times i've read articles and posts and everything where blind people ask for a regular blind character #only to have magical shit #and how many times do we autistic people have to beg for a someone other than a savant white boy? #how many times do we disabled people have to ask for realistic expressions of pain?! #i have only ONCE seen a good and realistic example of a character with chronic pain (one a fellow disabled w/chronic pain writer wrote) #it is SO HARD to be disabled and watch 'disability rep' mean nothing more than 'hey look they've got prosthetics!' #and then have NO OTHER EXPRESSION OF THAT DISABILITY #YES they are still disabled. but NO they are not treated correctly. #they are being made palatable for the ABLED AUDIENCE. #and i'm tired of it. #disability #disability representation #disability in fiction #ableism in media #star wars #star wars prequels #star wars: the clone wars #star wars: the bad batch #star wars: rebels #star wars: rogue one #star wars original trilogy #please note this is not a fully-fledged paper. i could do that. i could absoultely do that with my rhetoric degree. #however. this is a blog post. #please keep that in mind!

[themarginalthinker]

Another question, just out of curiosity: what's your take on vampires and disability into vampirehood?

#vtm #vampire the masquerade #can be any vampire media you think applies #vampires #disability in fiction