What effect do representations of disability have on the concept of abjection?
The representation of disability can have complex effects on the concept of abjection. It refers to the state of being pushed away from the boundaries of society. Sometime representation of disability in media and our actions may reinforce negative stereotype, portraying individuals with disabilities as pitiable, dependent, or even monstrous, thus contributing to their abjection. The representation of disability can both reinforce and challenge the concept of abjection, depending on the portraits and its cultural, social, and historical context. Positive and empowering representation through achievements in various fields have the potential to disrupt notions of abjection by affirming the dignity and worth of individuals with disabilities.
Representations of disability raise the question of whether visibility is always empowering or desirable for minorities if said visibility relies on toxic tropes and stereotypes. For instance, even empathetic representations may present disabled figures as "abject" individuals in need of care, as one who is (as the definition of abjection goes) "servile, wretched, or contemptible." As Alexa Alice Joubin argues in her Introduction to Critical Theory, https://criticaltheory.info/, "impairment is not necessarily an obstacle and does not in and by itself constitute disability. It only becomes a form of disability when the environment and its design fail to support a person’s needs. Disability is a socially induced hindrance to mobility or to access."
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