Read more about the article Inspirational and Disability – Cliche, Demeaning, or Fact?
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Inspirational and Disability – Cliche, Demeaning, or Fact?

Inspirational! In particular inspirational and disability (and in particularly brain injury). Who would think it could be so complicated!   While "inspirational" is a word I am a bit fond of using I have discovered it is easy to misuse, and readily becomes demeaning.   I was showing a friend the work of Cheryl Green and co. in Seattle on the site “Who Am I To Stop It”: "Who Am I To Stop It" is a non-inspirational documentary film on artists with brain injury. We focus on quiet observation of the featured artists. The film explores the roles that art plays in people's lives for finding peace, peace of mind, connecting to their pre-injury lives, and connecting to community." “Why non-inspirational? What’s wrong with inspirational?” I was asked by my friend. At the time I thought I gave a fairly credible summary of why NOT inspirational. Talking about valuing a person’s achievements and roles. Of not finding a person inspirational just because…

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