Disney Princesses With Disabilities Hopes to Help Diminish Ableism

Beloved Disney princesses with disabilities? You might not see them in a feature-length cartoon, but depictions of Disney princesses in unusual circumstances and situations have become something of an Internet meme and are a staple of such social media sites as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

Of particular popularity these days are depictions of Princess Leia from Star Wars as a Disney princess, or of Disney princesses in Princess Leia's outfits. Some may consider this meme played out or tired, but a new and unique approach makes these often oh-so-perfect princesses accessible to an entirely new demographic.

Artist aleXsandro Palombo, who lives with a disability from a major cancer operation, has created special depictions of the princesses with disabilities. Among his creations are a picture of Snow White in a wheelchair, Cinderella, Mulan, Jasmine and Pocahontas as amputees, and others. His hope is to diminish the discriminatory practice of ableism.

Says Palombo, "Two years ago I had a rare form of cancer and, after surgery to remove it, some parts of my body are now paralyzed. I am now a disabled person, and every day I have to deal with all forms of discrimination. Through this series I wanted to give visibility to this problem of strong discrimination directed to the persons with disabilities who live in our society."

The images are striking, and not just because the popular icons are portrayed as women with disabilities. What's more interesting is that each of the princesses is depicted with her well-known gleaming smile. This seems to convey an attitude that, even though a person is living with a disability, the disability doesn't own her and shouldn't rob a person of everyday joy.

These depictions are wonderful for children with disabilities, who don't always get to see popular characters portrayed in a form that is relevant to their everyday struggles. They're wonderful examples for able-bodied children, too, who need to be exposed to more diversity in media, especially from a company that is recognized as one of the world's biggest influences on children.

After all, the world turns on diversity even if the media is slow to catch up to that basic fact of life. Disney itself has come under repeated attack for its lack of diversity in character portrayals. Though the company is quick to point out characters like Pocahontas, Jasmine, and Mulan as examples of racial diversity in its depictions, critics attack the characters as essentially culturally white, with different-colored skin.

Indeed, Palombo's creations have added a whole new dimension to the discussion about the portrayal of women by Disney and the media in general. Isn't it time for more diversity to be portrayed in the mainstream media, and not just in terms of race and culture, but in terms of body style and people with disabilities, too?

It's a welcome sight to see these characters portrayed in ways that will hit home for children with disabilities. Watch the video to see how people are reacting to the drawings. Why do you think Disney didn't come up with the idea first?

Source: thegloss.com/2014/01/27/culture/disabled-disney-princesses/ Image Sources: barnorama.com italianstyle.com handicap-job.com humorchic.blogspot.com blog.magheerrehab.org nydailynews.com