Analysis Of Nancy Mairs 'Disability'

Robert M. Hensel, a Guinness World Record holder with a disability, once said, “There is no greater disability in society, than the inability to see a person as more” (Langtree). When thinking of people with disabilities, many individuals think of the things they cannot do rather than their achievements or their contribution to humanity. Why is this the perspective of so many humans? “Mental Illness on Television,” written by Rosie Anaya, and “Disability,” a work by Nancy Mairs, convey very similar ideas on the topic of how media negatively affects their reader or viewer’s outlook. However, Mairs and Anaya uniquely compose a look at the long lasting consequences that people with disabilities have to deal with on a daily basis due to the mass …show more content…
This is shown in “Disability” when Mairs reveals that the media has it all wrong and that people with disabilities are, for the most part, just like everyone else. For instance, she states that she too eats pizza, talks on the telephone, and drives a car (Mairs 14). Anaya also criticizes the media when she exploits that the news and other media platforms use people with mental illnesses as a ploy to catch the viewer’s attention; the news ultimately characterizes all mental illnesses as dangerous (Anaya 54). Mutually, the authors illustrate that media fails to show disabilities as a part of everyday life. Mairs’ discusses how the media portrayal of physical disabilities misses the point. People with disabilities should not be defined by that part of themselves when they have so much more to offer. Despite Mairs and others like her being so similar to people without disabilities, they are still treated differently on and off the television screen. “Mental Illness on Television” also proclaims that mental illnesses are not represented as a part of everyday life. Anaya speaks about this concern when she explains that if mental illnesses are misleadingly represented …show more content…
Unfortunately, misrepresentation leads to isolation, insecurity, and self-degradation in both instances. Similarly, “Disability” and “Mental Illness on Television” mutually stress that any kind of disability, whether it be mental or physical, is not a defining factor. In order to make a change, Mairs and Anaya suggest a similar solution to the problem. Both writers advocate involving the complete portrayal of physical and mental disabilities as a part of life. After comparing “Disability” to “Mental Illness on Television” it is clear that the two essays express similar ideas and strategies with one another. Mairs’ take in “Disability” and Anaya’s observations in “Mental Illness on Television” contain some slight but substantial