Any form of disability tend to be viewed negatively by society. The social stigma that attaches to someone with a disability sticks on to the person for most of his or her life. On most cases, those with disabilities are seen being unable to do everyday activities. If they are able to do them, society sees them as being an inspiration despite the fact that the activities are not difficult to do. From the two blog posts and video interview, I noticed some common ideas that the three individuals shared to the audience.

In the first blog, “We’re Not Here For Inspiration” by Stella Young, the author mainly holds the topic of inspirational porn. Inspirational porn is when a disabled child does something ordinary with a cheesy and motivational caption attached to the image or video. Throughout the text, the blog’s atmosphere seems to be passive aggressive against the stereotype about how disabled people are not able to do the ordinary things abled people can. “It’s no coincidence that these genuinely adorable disabled kids in these images are never named: it doesn’t matter what their names are, they’re just there as objects of inspiration.”(Young), is a quote from the blog. The author’s perspective of the argument. Young’s argument on the disabled being objectified raises the idea of dehumanizing these people due to their disability. In a way, those making the “motivational” advertisements are attempting to appeal to the audience’s sense of pathos so the audience will have empathy.

The second blog, “But You Don’t Look Disabled” by Jillayna Adamson, is about the author herself and her experience with being slightly deaf. A friend of hers said that she did not look disabled, which then made her realize how society views the disabled. In this case, the blog is saying how society perceives the disabled to have a special look, a look that a non-disabled person does not have. People were also surprised when they found out Adamson is disabled and doing her masters degree. Her disability has taught her more about people than she could have learned if she were not disabled.

The video interview of Jason DaSilva and Alice Cook focuses on the fact how DaSilva, a filmmaker, adapted through multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a disease that disrupts the ability for nerves to communicate with one another and thus, resulting in fatigue, blindness, and trouble with coordination to name a few. Being a filmmaker, DaSilva needs his eyesight to focus the camera and know what shots to take. MS has made this a challenge for him as his vision is deteriorating. DaSilva and Cook co-created a documentary following seven years of DaSilva’s life and how he has coped with his condition.

All three are based on personal experiences so the authenticity of the stories are credible. They greatly mention the fact how each author deals through their obstacles.

Adamson, Jillayna. “‘But You Don’t Look Disabled… ‘” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillayna-adamson/but-you-dont-look-disabled_b_6208986.html>.

WHEN I WALK Documentary With Filmmakers Jason DaSilva and Alice Cook. Dir. TheLipTV. Perf. Jason DaSilva and Alice Cook. Youtube.com. Youtube.com, 23 June 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_1ot-TNA0U&feature=youtu.be>.

Young, Stella. “We’re Not Here for Your Inspiration.” – Blog – ABC Ramp Up (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). ABC Ramp Up, 01 July 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2016. <http://www.abc.net.au/rampup/articles/2012/07/02/3537035.htm>.

Malala Yousafzai’s memoir, I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, is an inspirational and mind-opening narrative. Raised in Pakistan, a country with political struggles, Malala had to overcome the oppression she faces due to one of the many facts that she is a woman. The Taliban has taken control over Pakistan but she went against the Taliban, and insisted on women receiving education as well. In response to this, the Taliban shot her in the head and she miraculously survived. Since then, Yousafzai has been an activist to promote children’s education. The three reviews that are going to be analyzed are from The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Star.

These three reviews allow the audience to get a better understanding and context of the autobiography prior to reading the actual autobiography. In all three of the book reviews, the author of these reviews starts off with setting a situation for the audience to imagine. In The Washington Post, the author promotes the situation of an economic growth if females were educated (Arana). The Guardian, however, talks about the day the Taliban was looking for Yousafzai when she was heading home from school. Lastly, The Star sets a situation of the reality in Pakistan, with the gun shootings, police sirens, and screaming throughout the neighborhood.

After their introduction, each author emphasizes the selflessness, determination, and courage Yousafzai showed to the world. Despite having been shot in the head, Yousafzai strives to empower and inspire women. In The Washington Post, the author mainly focuses on the history of Yousafzai’s familial background, including from how Malala Yousafzai’s father founded a school to the miracle his daughter experienced (Arana). The Guardian, on the other hand, focuses more on how Yousafzai’s life has affected those in Pakistan and around the world, as well as the impact she has made through her story (Bhutton). Similarly to The Guardian, The Star also signifies the importance Malala Yousafzai has contributed to her society as well as informing people outside her country of the situation Pakistan is facing. The Star, however, mentions how the autobiography is from the perspective of a sixteen year old, giving it limited views to be generalized. This review is one of the few that has a opposed connotation against the inspiration that Yousafzai has spread by saying, “Part of the difficulty is, of course, that a biography of a 16-year-old is necessarily limited in scope.” (Eggertson)
All in all, the three reviews exemplify and explain the positive things that Yousafzai has done to her community by encouraging not only females, but also children to be educated. All three ended their reviews with the positive outcomes due to Yousafzai’s horrific experience.

Works Cited:

Arana, Marie. “‘I Am Malala’ by Malala Yousafzai.” Review of I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb, The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 6 Oct. 2016.

Bhutto, Fatima “I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai – review” Review of I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb, The Guardian, 30 October 2013

Eggertson, Laura “I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai: review” Review of I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb, The Star, 22 November 2013

Kettler, Sara. “Malala Yousafzai Biography.” Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 1 July 2016. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.