Disability as a Socio-cultural Construct

Abstract

This thesis talks about the existence of physical or mental disability in literary discourse constructed by so called “able” that contribute in devaluating, stigmatizing those who do not meet the criteria defined by the able. My argument isthat, disability is not an inborn human weakness or a misfortune but a politico-cultural construct of the disability experience as such. Lucy Grealy in “Pony Party”,Nancy Mairs in “Carnal Act”, Barbara Rosenblum in “Living with an Unstable Body”,andVed Mehta in “Bells” frankly recount their experiences of what it means for them to be disabled.These texts seek to argue thatindividuals with disabilities may experience an existential crisis that may be triggered by the stigma related to having a disability, as well as by conditions created by disability itself.