What Is Inspiration Porn?

The phrase “inspiration porn” might sound like a pep-talk given in the adult section of the video store. However, it is actually a term coined by comedian and activist, Stella Young, in her TED talk, which is a public speaking platform for technology, entertainment and design. Inspiration porn is used to describe benevolent ableism, which is a form of ableism that enforces the view that disabled people are weak, nonintellectual, or need to be rescued. Inspiration porn is typically a video, picture or article about a disabled person who overcame or accomplished something, often accompanied by captions and comments, such as “No excuses.”

The term ‘porn’ is deliberate, due to objectifying disabled people for the benefit of able-bodied people. Inspiration porn may seem harmless or uplifting, but it can negatively impact the disabled community. It suggests that a disability should be overcome. It also portrays disabled people as being weak or generally unable to help themselves. Therefore, any disabled person who accomplishes the same things as an able-bodied person is “superpowered.”

Diversity of disabilities

Inspiration porn can ignore the idea that everyone experiences disability differently. One person with cerebral palsy may be able to walk down the aisle at their wedding, while another may need to use a wheelchair. Not only does this enforce the narrative that using a wheelchair is somehow bad, but it also ignores the fact that some people are unable to walk.

What to consider

When sharing images and stories about disabled people, decide if it would be common to say about a non-disabled person. If not, it should not be said about a disabled person. Comments should be centered around the person’s accomplishment, not their disability. Small linguistic changes can make a large impact on how society views and discusses disability.

Additional sources: Medical News Today, NPR, and Accessibility.com