Identity in People with Disability
This piece was one of my Year 11 English essays about the Irish painter and author, Christy Brown, the protagonist of the play, "My Left Foot" and my argument is that people with disabilities have issues with the construction of an impairment-free identity because of the difficulties in overcoming social barriers based on discriminatory attitudes and practices.
Tim Chan June 2012
Identity can be defined as the process by which we become a person in achieving a sense of who we are (Kidd, 2001). People with a disability are Individuals first and foremost, and the extent to which our identity is shaped by our acceptance and/or rejection of others’ expectations associated with the disability determines how we see ourselves.
The view that people see a person with a disability as a less than perfect individual is based on a number of assumptions. First, perception is influenced by attitudes and beliefs, such that the knowledge of the person may be clouded by preconceived notions of limitations. Secondly, when a person has been predominantly defined by the disability, he/she then incorporates the concept of a ’disabled person’ into his/her identity. To be a disabled person means that we are primarily aware of the disability having such an extensive impact on our lives that it permeates all aspects of who we are.
Christy Brown, the protagonist in ‘My Left Foot’, born with severe cerebral palsy, struggled with his identity as disabled, a ‘cripple’, over his lifetime. His family questioned his intelligence as he was unable to speak as a child. Neighbours and people in the wider community constantly reinforced the notion that Christy was not only physically but intellectually disabled as well. ‘Like a moron…he has the mind of a three year old.” (Magso, p.10). Christy defied expectations to write, to speak intelligibly and to paint as he grew, but even when his painting skills developed, he was constantly struggling with the disabled identity of a ‘cripple’ as demonstrated by the words ‘cripple’ and ‘painter’ that he put on his collage (p.39).
This identity of a disabled person is the reality Christy had to face every day. That Christy was discriminated because of his disability was exemplified by the carousel attendant who refused to allow the child on the ride because “he’s a cripple”. (p.18) The barriers to inclusion are nothing more than people’s attitude of a difference so huge that the person with a disability is seen as a lesser being, and is refused the right that belongs to a human being. The identity of the person in the assimilation of this negative attitude would be reflected by one of Impairment and despair. For a long time, Christy’s low self esteem came across whenever he was met with relationship setbacks, for example, when he learnt about Eileen’s engagement to Peter, Christy referred to himself as a cripple. “It’s get rid of the cripple time, Eileen.” (p. 51) The cripple or disabled person is a lesser being in the eyes of those who deny him/her the rights to participation and thus the person becomes identified solely by his/her disability, resulting in barriers to inclusion. Barriers, therefore, are part and parcel of this discriminatory attitude.
In the dinner with friends scene, Eileen and the others were at first supportive of Christy’s identity as a successful painter. This was reflected in Peter’s introduction and praise and was echoed by Christy who basked in their acknowledgement of his artistry. Peter: ‘A lot of people say Christy is a great cripple painter. That’s an insult to Christy. “ Christy: “That’s right.” Peter: “Christy is simply a great painter.” (p.47-48). However , when Eileen announced her engagement, Christy’s positive attitude vanished together with his identity as successful and we see a descent into the identity of a cripple, who has been excluded from full manhood in being capable of romantic love with a woman. Hence, Christy’s reference to himself as a ‘cripple’ reflects this interpretation but this attitude may not be how the others saw the situation. Eileen may be constraint by her role as his therapist not to engage in a closer relationship, but the incident is illustrative of the lesser status of a disabled person coming from Christy’s internalized attitude as crippled.
On the other hand the acknowledgement by his family, especially his mother, meant that Christ is able to achieve an identity as a human being, albeit as a person with a disability. Since birth, Christy’s mother was the only one who recognized his full status as a person, and understood his struggles to keep communicating with the family. “I understand him” she told the nuns who tried to persuade her to give him up (p.12). ‘Remember, Christy, even if we can’t understand you, God can.” (p.16) this recognition as well as his own relentless efforts in overcoming his challenges contributed to Christy’s later success as a painter and author, independent of his disability.
The extent to which the disability can be seen as an integral part of a person’s identity determines how he/she will respond, whether as a disable person or a person with a disability. Although the various aspects of our identity may revolve around our disability, it is important to see ourselves as a full human being with challenges, just like all individuals, with or without disability. Christy Brown, who despite his severe cerebral palsy, went on to become one of Ireland’s celebrated painters and authors, showed that the sum total of a person, or identity, is more than the aggregation of the parts and disability constitutes only a part of any person, no matter how disabled.