Disabilities in writing · 1:42am Jul 24th, 2019
There was some good conversation on EQD about Scootaloo's disability and if she should be able to overcome it or grow out of it. There was one answer that I just wanted to share with everyone.
Blaster Master:
Yeah, the whole special olympics sufferage I see a lot in writing is starting to get ridiculous. Never use a handicap as a character identity! Never write a character that has to be disabled forever in order to validate their struggle as a character!
I can understand wanting to write a dark and gritty poverty life character that can't help themselves because they don't have money, friends, or resources to do so, but also acknowledge in both high fantasy and high tech settings these kind of things can be worked around very easily. Only the decree of the author limits the characters in those cases.
Case in point, we recently had Kerfluffle. I know every one of you locked eyes on that peg leg of hers every time she was on camera. Funny thing is, she was fine with it, and had no problems with mobility. This is an example of an otherwise handicapped character done right. An injury that would normally be a death sentence for an equine (or at the very least a life of endless leg pain, leading to being wheelchair bound not long after) was remedied with a simple mechanical extension.
I think that disabilities are one of those hot-button issues in writing, and no matter how an author does it, there are going to be some people who complain--but then, the same can be said about most any subject, I suppose.
I do agree that the character shouldn’t be defined by a disability, any more than they should be defined by any other single trait. I work with developmentally disabled adults part-time (I work part time, that is; they’re not developmentally disabled part time) and I’ll be honest, while for most of them I did read through their file at some point, I don’t typically think of them as “a guy who’s got X or Y”, but rather a more normal sort of how I’d interact with anybody else.
I’ve also known a few people with physical handicaps, and while that’s an easy way to describe them, that’s not the whole of them . . . like, if I wanted to base a character on a guy I knew in college, I’d obviously mention that he used crutches to get around, but it’d also be worth mention that he lived in a third-floor dorm room with no elevator, and that he could get around faster on crutches than I could walk on my two good legs.
IMHO, the “Poor me” really only applies if a character is dealing with a sudden change due to circumstance . . . say, Rarity suddenly loses a hoof. For a long-standing handicap of whatever sort, in most cases the character in question has learned how to deal with it and be the best pony she can be, and maybe doesn’t even think of it all that much any more. I mean, every morning I fumble around until I find my glasses, because goddam if I’m not as blind as a bat without them, but I don’t really ever whine about not having 20/20 vision. And I can read really small print, so that’s a plus.
Also, since I’m thinking about it, when I crushed my left index finger, I had to learn how to use a fork with my right hand, which was a bit frustrating for a teenager, but I got by and now it’s a funny story (and now that what’s left of it has healed, I can use a fork with both hands, which is clearly a win). If you don’t believe me, try using a fork in your off hand.
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Has a point, sometimes people genuinely want to add an illness because it is part of the character, but because they have that illness there will always be those people who just think it's a bad character no matter how they progress. Characters like these can be done right though, people need to know that more often, not everyone is healthy.
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I think the major point was that if you want to write a character with a disability, go for it, but don't make the disability the only defining thing about the character. Some amazing characters can have disabilities, but what those things lead to is what makes them a good character. For example in Unbreakable, Mr. Glass has brittle bones and is always in danger of painful fractures from the tiniest of injuries. If his story was left like that and it became his defining feature, he would have been a pitiable handicapped person. Instead, his disability lead him to fall in love with superhero comics and THAT became his defining feature.
As for Scoots, her disability isn't remotely what defines her as a character. She's well-rounded with contradictions, and being disabled is only a small part of what makes her who she is.
It should be approached head-on, though. I've been very disappointed that Hasbro hasn't actually addressed it. She may never fly, and that needs to be okay. It's something children (both with and without disabilities) could benefit from seeing her come to terms with. She's found other interests that help her manage her inability to fly before, so it wouldn't be hard to do.