Review: Raising Dion and Disability Representation (Season 1) ***Contains Spoilers***

478 words

4 minute read

Okay, wow.  I've just finished watching Netflix's Raising Dion...and I'm not over it.

In part, because of the character of Esperanza (played by actually disabled actress, Sammi Haney.)  She was memorable from the beginning, critiquing Dion's lair for not being accessible.

When Dion threw out pillows to make room for her, Esperanza goes inside, and reassures him:  "Now you won't get sued by the city!"

Esperanza's not a wholly angelic character.  She's a bit clingy.  She "makes it weird" with Dion a lot, and she takes on other people's workload.  She's also intuitive, smart (but not in a "in spite of her disability" way) and not afraid to go the extra mile to help her friends.

My favorite episode was 1x08.  Dion (who's jealous of Esperanza's budding friendship with classmate, Jonathan) and sets out trying to impress her by levitating her out of her wheelchair with his powers.  He says, "You'll like it!"

Esperanza doesn't like it.  She insists Dion put her down.  She asks him angrily, "Why did you do that?!"

He says, "I thought you'd like it!  I was trying to make you--"

She interjects, "Walk?"

It's clear that is what Dion means.

Esperanza asks him firmly to open the door.  Then, says, "Thank you," not looking at him.  She doesn't talk to him for a few days.

Meanwhile, Dion realizes that Esperanza has never expressed a desire to be out of her chair.  That he crossed Esperanza's boundaries.  He gets back to school inside in time for the science fair.

Dion apologizes to Esperanza, "I'm sorry for trying to fix you when you're not broken," he says sincerely.  Esperanza gives him a hug.

This type of representation is still rare.  And I loved typical "disability existing to be cured" trope was addressed as something harmful immediately.  We, the audience saw right away that Esperanza was distressed by what Dion did, lifting her out of her wheelchair without her consent.

It's beyond important to see representation like this.  And to see Esperanza as a part of things, playing an important role in the story.  Bringing Dion's inhaler to him, in one memorable scene.  Turning off her tablet before Jonathan could record Dion when he was hospitalized and delirious in another.  And helping Dion and his mom in the final episode, advising Dion's mom that she knows what it looks like when somebody doesn't see you.

This turns out to be pivotal insight.  Esperanza's not just a prop, she's an integral character in the show.

So looking forward to season 2.

(This review was Esperanza-heavy for obvious reasons but I LOVED the rest of the cast, too!  Dion and Nicole's relationship was the best.  Pat was super layered and complex, too.)

Definitely tune in to check out this show.

(TW: Strobing effects might impact photosensitive viewers.)

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Review: The Pretty One by Keah Brown

513 words

4 minute read

After months of waiting with anticipation, I finally had the pleasure of reading Keah Brown's book debut: The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability and Other Reasons to Fall in Love With Me.  While not all the essays resonated with me, I'm going to focus on the ones that did.  The ones that made me go: "People need to read this right dang now!"

LOVE YOU, MEAN IT: As a twin myself, it's a rare day when I get to read about the uniqueness that is the twin relationship.  While my relationship with Tara is very different than Keah's with Leah, I found myself feeling so much fondness reading this essay.  Keah's connection to Mary-Kate and Ashley mirrored our own and when Tia and Tamera Mowry appeared in Sister, Sister, we watched every week, thrilled to see another set of twins, even closer to our own age - and who both got to appear on screen at one time!

IS THIS THING ON?: This essay might be my favorite in the entire book.  Keah pulls no punches in discussing her identity as a Black disabled woman.  She discusses disability history and problematic euphemisms around disability. This is the essay, more than any other, that made me feel like things are changing in the publishing world.  Though I've seen a lot of these sentiments articulated online, I've not yet seen them published a book like this.  Read this dang essay.  (Better, read the whole dang book.)

YOU CAN'T CURE ME, I PROMISE IT'S FINE: I related painfully well to Keah's essay on church and its teachings on disability.  On just how harmful they can be to people with disabilities just trying to grow their faith and relationship with God.

FREEDOM OF A PONYTAIL: This was the only essay in Keah's book that I'd read previously, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time I read it.  Because in many ways, it mirrored my own struggle in my mid-twenties, trying to figure out how to put my own hair in a ponytail and having nowhere to look for guidance.  (My younger cousin finally taught me by sitting on my lap and reaching behind my head to put a ponytail in my hair, and letting me hand-over-hand it with him.)

And finally, this excerpt of CRY, BABY, CRY blew my mind:  "My family understood that three surgeries at once was a lot for a young girl, or anyone, to take on." (The Pretty One, pg 188)

Reading that passage made me think seriously about my own history with surgeries, the issue of consent and the vital part family support plays.  While my experience does not mirror Keah's own, it's a mark of good writing when a piece can make you realize something for the first time, or completely reframe something from your own past.

I love that this was the very first book I've ever read by someone like me.

I hope to read so much more by Keah Brown.

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Christopher Diaz Survives on This Week's Episode of 9-1-1

557 words

4 minute read

Season 3, Episode 3 "The Searchers" aired on October 7th and opened with firefighter, Evan Buckley, searching for Christopher, who had previously fallen off of a firetruck that shifted during a tsunami.

Buck spends the entire episode searching for Christopher.  Sometimes it's promising (some survivors swear they saw him on the way to The Cupcakery where there was water being distributed) and sometimes it was utterly heartbreaking, as when Buck was urged to check the morgue tent, to see if Christopher is among those who didn't survive.

By the end of the episode, Buck has lost all hope and must confess to Christopher's dad, Eddie, that he lost Christopher.  But simultaneously, a woman (who we've seen moving with a group of survivors throughout the episode) arrives with a child wrapped a blanket.

It's Christopher!

Eddie approaches, and the woman immediately asks, "Are you Buck?"

Eddie assures her, "I'm his dad!"

She responds, "He's looking for Buck!"

I loved a couple of things about this:

First, that it's shown that Buck is not the only adult who is shown to be concerned and actively caring for Christopher.  This woman had Christopher with her for hours, making sure he was warm and not left behind.  (Again, showing the audience that his life has value.)

And second?  That she asked questions when Eddie approached Christopher.  She didn't just hand him off.  She also made it clear who Christopher's looking for - advocating for him - and making sure of his safety before she leaves him.

To finish, we see Eddie dropping Christopher off at Buck's house again.  Buck is startled, feeling responsible for losing Christopher and feeling guilty.  Eddie says, "The way he sees it, you saved him.  Now it's his turn to save you."  (Tara pointed out that in the previous episode, Christopher and Buck had spoken about how they helped each other survive while on the firetruck together.  So, it's possible that Christopher and Eddie had a subsequent conversation about this and Eddie's relaying the information.

Eddie tells Buck that he's happy to have Buck watch Christopher.  He lists all of the things he's packed for Christopher to do: (coloring books, Legos and two snacks), he leaves money for pizza.  He mentions that Christopher is easy to watch because he "isn't very fast" (ha!)  And that he "doesn't make anything that looks like anything" with the Legos, "he just likes sticking things together."

All of this seems to be said in an effort to reassure Buck that he can take care of Christopher.  Eddie does not blame him.  In fact, he makes it clear that he has let Christopher down multiple times.  "But it's up to me," he says, "to never stop trying."

First and foremost, I'm thrilled that Christopher survived, obviously.  I still really love the storyline.  And there was even a poignant line by Maddie (Buck's sister, a 911 dispatcher) where she talks about the loss of "all the people who couldn't swim."

I couldn't help but think of Christopher in that moment.  But I'm so glad that instead of using his character as a part of a super tragic storyline, 9-1-1 is breaking new ground, making it clear that disabled lives have value and we need to be considered and supported, and rescued in emergency situations.

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What's Remarkable About Christopher Diaz's Storyline on 9-1-1

802 words

6 minute read

I've been a fan of 9-1-1 since season 1 featured Alice Kina Diehl (as emergency dispatcher, Stephanie Gaskins).  Season 2 saw the addition of Gavin McHugh as Christopher Diaz (firefighter Eddie Diaz's 8-year-old son).  What makes these casting choices notable?  Both actors have CP.  It's been amazing to watch Gavin on screen every week - to see someone with my CP has been so validating.

Episode 3x01, "Kids Today", (which premiered on September 23) ended with a tsunami imminent and Christopher visiting the pier with firefighter Evan Buckley.  We see Buck toss Christopher over his shoulder, and book it as fast as he can off the pier.

3x02, "Sink or Swim," (which aired on September 30), begins like this:

What's remarkable about this?

Well, a lot.

NORMALIZATION OF HELPING DISABLED PEOPLE IN EMERGENCIES:
Disabled life does have value, even if we cannot contribute to society in traditional ways.  That's shown here, in Christopher's fight to stay alive, Buck lifting him to safety on top of a firetruck.  It might seem like, "Of course, Buck would help Christopher!" But a portrayal like this is the exception, not the rule.

The truth is, disabled people are often not considered in emergencies.  We are left behind, and even reprimanded for trying to save ourselves.  There's often no protocol for disabled children in lockdowns or fire drills.  Disabled adults are left behind in natural disasters and states of emergency.

9-1-1 choosing to portray Christopher not as an afterthought or a burden is significant in the lives of people with disabilities because seeing media depictions in popular culture is often what begins the shift in conversation and culture.

'HE MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS':
That shift is already evident on social media.

Last night, when I braced myself and checked Twitter for fans' reactions to the episode, I was nervous.  Because even as recently as two years ago, portrayal of disabled characters was frighteningly ableist.  When this happens, the public reacts accordingly.  (If they see a disabled person portrayed as a burden, for example, the public is not going to value that character.)  Needless to say, I was so pleasantly surprised to see the public's response this time around.

You can glimpse the same goodness that I did in this article:  9-1-1 Fans Rally Around Christopher After Dramatic Tsunami Cliffhanger: 'He Must Be Protected At All Costs!' So often, in media, like the popular book Me Before You we see the trope that disabled people are better off dead than disabled.  It is beyond refreshing to see fans rooting for Christopher's survival and angry about his being unprotected.

KIDS WITH CP AND NEAR-DROWNINGS:
Finally, this episode raises important awareness about kids with CP and near-drownings.

I nearly drowned at 13 years old on a family vacation.  The innertube I was in was ripped away from me by a wave.  I sat in the hip-deep water, the surface just above my head.  I couldn't stand up without my crutches and I didn't have them with me.  My twin sister (who also has CP) is the person I credit for saving my life.  She was able to get me to the surface a few times to breathe, in time for someone else to notice and come and help me walk to shore.

This hasn't happened just to me.  This has happened to other people with CP during childhood as well.  And as difficult as it was for me to watch this episode, I was glad to see all these things represented because it really drives home the point: whether a kid with CP is 8 years old like Christopher, or 13 like I was?  If that kid cannot swim, they need a life jacket on at all times near water.  And in an emergency situation, like in the episode, we need an adult who can swim and support us.

Representation like this matters because it draws attention to real life issues that often are just not spoken about.  They're swept under the metaphorical rug, and then they keep happening.  Disabled people keep not being thought of in emergencies.  We keep being looked upon like we are burdens.  We keep nearly-drowning.

My hope is that this episode can maybe help these things happen less often.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
At the end of 3x02, we see that Christopher has fallen off the firetruck into the water again.  Buck can't find him.  But if I had any doubt about Christopher's survival, you can bet I would not be posting this blog.

We have a long way to go.  The face of disability in the media is still overwhelmingly white and male.  90-some percent of disabled characters are traditionally played by nondisabled actors.

But this is definitely movement in the right direction.

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