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Section one: The fundamentals
A)
Exercise 1: Notebook Prompt
Many of you are likely familiar with the concept of “ability inequity,” which the authors of this article define as “an unjust or unfair (a) ‘distribution of access to and protection from abilities generated through human interventions’ or (b) ‘judgment of abilities intrinsic to biological structures such as the human body’.”
However, they go on to identify the following “ability concepts” that are less familiar:
1) ability security (one is able to live a decent life with whatever set of abilities one has)
2) ability identity security (to be able to be at ease with ones abilities)
How prevalent are these forms of security among disabled people you know? Or, if you identify as a disabled person, would you say your social surroundings and community foster and support these kinds of security? Furthermore, while the focus of the article is on Kinesiology programs, it is also important to reflect on how academia in general accommodates for disability. If you feel comfortable answering this question, what has been your experience of postsecondary education to date?
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The authors also observe that “Ableism not only intersects with other forms of oppression, such as racism, sexism, ageism, and classism, but abilities are often used to justify such negative ‘isms’.”
What do you think this means? Provide an example.
| I believe that this means that certain societal views on ability can be used as a way to justify discrimination. An example of this is how racism has been justified throughout history due to claims of physical or intellectual inferiority, similar to how sexism was defended claiming that women were less capable than men in a number of ways to justify this.
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Exercise 2: Implicit Bias Test
Did anything surprise you about the results of the test? Please share if you’re comfortable OR comment on the usefulness of these kinds of tests more generally.
| My results on the test implied that I prefer physically abled people. I think that the test ultimately is not very useful. Rather than asking in-depth questions regarding your view on the type of people you prefer, it seems to be more mind games to get you to answer in a certain way.
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B) Keywords
Exercise 3:
Add the keyword you contributed to padlet and briefly (50 words max) explain its importance to you.
| The word I chose is ableism:
I find ableism significant because it influences how society views people with disabilities, frequently strengthening rather than lowering obstacles. In order to combat unjust preconceptions, promote accessibility, and guarantee that handicapped people are respected for who they are rather than just how they “overcome” barriers imposed by an inaccessible environment, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of ableism.
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B) On Disability
Exercise 4: Complete the Activities
Exercise 5: Notebook Prompt
What do Fitzgerald and Long identify as barriers to inclusion and how might these apply to sport in particular?
Fitzgerald and Long identify structural, cultural, personal, and institutional barriers to inclusion; all of those have an impact on sports. Structural barriers, like inaccessible facilities and unequal funding, limit opportunities for marginalized athletes. Cultural norms and biases create exclusionary environments, affecting women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ athletes. Personal barriers, such as financial constraints and fear of discrimination, further hinder participation. Institutional biases also restrict leadership opportunities and fair selection processes. These barriers collectively shape who gets to participate, advance, and thrive in sports.
C) Inclusion, Integration, Separation
Exercise 6: Complete the Activities
Exercise 7: Notebook Prompt
Choose ONE of the three questions Fitzgerald and Long argue disability sport needs to address and record your thoughts in your Notebook.
- Should sport be grouped by ability or disability?
- Is sport for participation or competition?
- Should sport competitions be integrated?
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Part Two: Making Connections
A) Gender, Sport and Disability
Exercise 8: Complete the Activity
The paradox that sportswomen habitually face (as the authors observe, this isn’t confined to disabled sportswomen) involves the expectation they will be successful in a ‘masculine’ environment while complying with femininity norms in order to be recognized as a woman.
True or false?
Take a moment to reflect on this paradox below (optional).
B) Masculinity, Disability, and Murderball
Exercise 9: Notebook/Padlet Prompt
Watch the film, Murderball and respond to the question in the padlet below (you will have an opportunity to return to the film at the end of this module).
The authors of “Cripping Sport and Physical Activity: An Intersectional Approach to Gender and Disability” observe that the “gendered performance of the wheelchair rugby players can…be interpreted as a form of resistance to marginalized masculinity” (332) but also point out that it may reinforce “ableist norms of masculinity.” After viewing the film, which argument do you agree with?
a) Murderball celebrates a kind of resistance to marginalized masculinity
| I like option (d); the film does both, after all, after watching Murderball, which I think is the most accurate perspective. This documentary highlights athletes with disabilities who play a sport like wheelchair rugby as a form of resistance against marginal masculinity. Team sports like these help redefine strength, toughness, and competitiveness and allow athletes to demonstrate their conceptualizations of what they can do by including an ability-embedded system that reconfigures social norms. The athletes refuse to be pitied or wallow in bitterness, proving that disability should not equal weakness. However, the movie also portrays some old-school, ableist ideas of masculinity, pushing aggression, physical dominance, and hyper-competitiveness as keys to success. But it reinforces a narrow definition of masculinity that does not leave space for those who do not conform to it. Sure, Murderball defies stereotypes of disability, but only to reaffirm traditional ideas of gender in the process.
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Section Three: Taking a Shot
A) Resistance
The “supercrip” narrative portrays individuals with disabilities as noble figures who, despite their disadvantages, accomplish extraordinary things. This inspirational image is problematic. It creates pressure for people with disabilities to achieve great things in life, or they are seen as less than worthy, undermining those with less extraordinary lives. It also redirects attention from systemic barriers to the personal victories of individuals, ignoring the need for systems to change to be truly inclusive. One such story is Ben Mattlin’s response, “I Am Not Your Supercrip,” which calls such tales offensive and harmful to the disabled community because they set false standards and fail to capture the complexities of the lives of disabled people. One example of media coverage leading up to the 2024 Paris Paralympics was that of swimmer Oleksandr Komarov from Ukraine. Komarov, who has muscular dystrophy and was a survivor of the siege of Mariupol, won three medals, including Ukraine’s first gold medal of the Games. His accomplishments are admirable, but the focus on his struggles and victories aligns with the supercrip trope. By placing the tone entirely on the agency of the individual, it may presuppose wider conversations around social obstacles and the necessity of structural support for impaired individuals.
B) Calling out Supercrip
The documentary Murderball focuses on wheelchair rugby competitors, demonstrating their competitiveness and resilience. Although the film resists common stereotypes of disabled people as weaker than average, it succumbs to the supercrip narrative, echoing narratives of remarkable athletic performances. Such framing risks perpetuating the damaging narrative that people with disabilities, can only be accepted into society under ideal conditions, perpetuating a sense of ableism that relates a need for disabled people to be able to meet rigorous performance standards. The supercrip narrative is further complicated by gender. The athletes of Murderball not only resist the stereotypes that accompany masculinity but embrace them, what Judith Butler calls a gender foundationalist perspective in her gender performative philosophy, because they see their aggressive and dominant behavior, which has defined their manhood, as resistance or revenge against disability’s emasculating effects. But this amplification of hypermasculinity also can push the elements of the disabled community who fit outside that archetype to the margins. “Supercrips, Solidarity, and Crip Families in The Bad Batch” describes how the supercrip narrative often overlaps with gender, and argues that supercrip narratives of success can do a disservice when it comes to inclusive representations that we need more representations of solidarity that highlight the various aspects of identity, without relying on ableist or gendered representations.
Disability Visibility Project
Exercise 10: Mini Assignment (worth 5% in addition to the module grade)
1) Do you agree with the critique of the “supercrip” narrative in this video? Why or why not? Find an example of the “supercrip” Paralympian in the 2024 Paris Paralympics or Special Olympics coverage and explain how it works.
| The “supercrip” trope is one way the media likes to show disabled people as rising above exceptional challenges to reach greatness. These stories are inspiring but are often condemned for continuing stereotypes that harm society. The central flaw in this story is that it seeks to explain success through individual agency when, in fact, systemic barriers create obstacles for disabled people, just like other marginalized groups. It implies that if a person with a disability tries hard enough, they can overcome their disability and be viewed as “normal,” maybe even “superhuman.” And it can be damaging, because it dismisses the day-to-day life of people with disabilities and suggests their value is contingent on extraordinary accomplishment. According to those critics, the supercrip narrative takes attention away from the necessary larger societal changes like better accessibility and opportunities for social participation. Instead of challenging ableism, these stories actually perpetuate it by presenting disability as something that can be “overcome” if you just have enough willpower, as opposed to adequate social support and systemic changes. One such example is coverage of Oleksandr Komarov, a swimmer competing at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Many media stories about him focused instead on his personal struggles, like having survived the war in Ukraine, more than on his athletic prowess or the larger issues that disabled athletes face. This fits with the supercrip narrative because it emphasizes his suffering and determination over his talent. Such portrayals can be harmful because they paint disabled people as “inspirations,” instead of people with multifaceted lives. To resist this, coverage of disability rights, accessibility, and inclusion instead of exceptionalism.
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2) Does the film Murderball play into the supercrip narrative in your opinion? How does gender inform supercrip (read this blog for some ideas)?
(300 words for each response)
| This entertaining documentary about wheelchair rugby is informative, but it also reinforces some stereotypes about disabled people while contradicting others. The film depicts its athletes as tough, aggressive and competitive, opposing the idea that people living with disability are weak or passive. But it also reinforces the supercrip narrative by emphasizing their extraordinary physical abilities and portraying them as defeating their disabilities via sport. This implies that one must make up for the disability with intense grit or accomplishment, which is a steep burden. One means with which Murderball supports the supercrip frame is by emphasizing resilience and overcoming adversity. The athletes are represented as warriors who overcome their bodies, showing that they are “just as tough” as non-disabled athletes. Although this can feel empowering, it also carries the danger of advancing the notion that disabled people have to achieve extraordinary things in order to be respected. This can render nongym people with disabilities invisible or unfit for consideration and undeserving of inclusion, such as people with disabilities who seek nothing like extreme physical competition. Gender is also key in how Muderball interacts with the supercrip narrative. The movie very much plays into traditional masculinity and characterizes the athletes as aggressive, dominant and hyper-competitive. This counters stereotypes that disabled men are weak, but it also reinforces ableist norms that suggest value depends on brute force. It depicts masculinity as something that needs to be laid claim to rather than embraced through disability, that must be won with extreme athleticism. Murderball is trailblazing in a multitude of senses but retains some problematic narratives. A more balanced representation would celebrate the accomplishments of disabled athletes without implying they must be “supercrips” to matter. Rather than framing the Sally story in terms of overcoming adversity, an appropriate disability representation would foreground accessibility, equity and inclusion in sports.
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