#disability in sci fi

[cy-cyborg]

What able bodied authors think I, an amputee and a wheelchair user, would want in a scifi setting:

Tech that can regenerate my old meat legs.

Robot legs that work just like meat legs and are functionally just meat legs but robot

Literally anything that would mean I don't have to use a wheelchair.

If I do need to use a wheelchair, make it fly or able to "walk me" upstairs

What I actually want:

Prosthetic covers that can change colour because I'm too indecisive to pick one colour/pattern for the next 5+ years.

A leg that I can turn off (seriously, my above knee prosthetic has no off switch... just... why?)

A leg that won't have to get refitted every time I gain or loose weight.

A wheelchair that I can teleport to me and legs I can teleport away when I'm too tired to keep walking. And vice versa.

In that same vein, legs I can teleport on instead of having to fiddle around with the sockets for half an hour.

Prosthetic feet that don't require me to wear shoes. F*ck shoes.

Actually accessible architecture, which means when I do want to use my wheelchair, it's not an issue.

Prosthetic legs with dragon-claw feet instead of boring human feet or just digigrade prosthetics that are just as functional as normal human-shaped ones.

A manual wheelchair with the option to lift my seat up like those scissor-lift things so I'm not eye-level with everyone's butt on public transport/so I can reach the top shelf by myself.

A prosthetic foot that lights up when it hits the ground like those children's shoes.

A few additions I remember seeing in the comments on my old account:

holographic prosthetic covers

transformers-style mobility aids that can fold into the shapes of different aids (e.g. a wheelchair that can fold into a cane)

prosthetic covers with pockets/hidden compartments (kind of surprised this isn't a thing already).

find my leg (like find my iphone, but for your legs when you haven't worn them in a while lol)

TLDR: Stop assuming every disabled person would want to be as close to "normal" as possible in your works. Some absolutely would and having options for them if fine, but I rarely see any examples of media showing those of us who don't. start letting amputees in your scifi works have fun with our prosthetics, fix the problems real amputees are already talking about instead of what you think are the issues and make your settings as a whole accessible!

[the-mountain-flower]

Robots whose internal auditory processing mechanisms don't work as they should, who may or may not be able to obtain or use external mics like a hearing aid.

Robots whose memory storage has been corrupted.

Robots who have parts out of place that keep them from moving like they're programmed to.

Robots with missing parts that they can't get replacements for.

Robots whose physical mechanics and internal programming aren't compatible with each other.

Robots who've lost a body part and have to get it replaced with something that wasn't built for their model.

Robots whose visual processers can't see in certain ranges of light.

Robots whose outer plating is damaged or lost, leaving their internal workings exposed.

Robots who overheat too easily, which can cause them to slow down or stop working until their temperature cools down.

Robots with parts of their body melted then malformed, that they can't remove or replace.

Robots who can't be around certain machines or else the signals will interfere with their own and cause them to malfunction.

Robots who cannot charge to full power.

Robots who weren't programmed with certain abilities, and/or are unable to learn new ones without it getting directly added to their code.

Robots who house multiple computer systems in one mechanical body.

Robots who aren't compatible with the standard equipment or systems.

Robots who have viruses and/or heavily rely on malware protection.

Robots whose movement mechanisms are damaged, resulting in something moving without them sending the proper signals for it to do so, or difficulty making something move, or paralysis.

Robots who consistently require percussive maintenance, and need either another method or a way to not accumulate more damage from it.

Robots whose language translators don't work, and can only communicate in binary.

Robots with corroded (like rust) body parts.

Robots who were made with more fragile metals than the usual.

Robots who have to carry external parts with them wherever they go (ex: memory storage, charging equipment, system or cable adapters, something vital that has a short-range signal).

Robots whose coding/parts/model/etc are out-of-date.

Robots who can't afford regular maintenance/repairs.

Robots whose mechanics or coding have been maliciously tampered with.

Robots who have to constantly convince everyone that they shouldn't be shut down and scrapped just because they're considered "higher maintenance".

(Trying very hard rn to figure out a way to give them robo-service animals) (maybe have to do with needing external parts with them?)

Robot disabilities. Robot who charges slowly and loses power incredibly fast and is always tired. Robot with malfunctioning lenses and can’t process visual information properly. Robot that can��t process anything too large and at a fast rate or else they’ll shut down. Robot with limbs screwed on too loose/just can’t attach correctly, so if they’re not careful they fall out. Robot disabilities,,,

[heart-sprout]

FARAWAY - Indie Webseries - Season 2 Out Now

A sci-fi journey through identity, loss, hope and determination

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[taro-pdf]

Humans are Space Orcs: Disability in Aliens and Humans

All language is Universal Interplanetary Language unless otherwise specified. Written like a play.

[Kell, human, in the staff break room of a planet-sized spacecraft where they work as a technician. An alien walks in and jumps. Kell doesn't notice.]

Alien, under their breath: what the fuck since when did we have a human on board?? I thought we employed fynta as security…

[Kell turns around and sees them. They wave. The alien stares. Kell puts down their cup and types something on their watch.]

Kell (text to speech, aka TTS): hey, what's up? can I help you?

Alien, under breath: jfdklas;jdjdfls what am I supposed to say to a human???

Kell (TTS): Kell, human, they/them, I've been on board three orbits and I haven't hurt anyone yet. I you can relax.

Alien: Um, Neka, sateen, he/him. And you relax can as well. Human voices aren't harmful to my species.

Kell (TTS): kind of you to offer, but I don't speak, and I can't hear either. My glasses are transcribing your words for me.

Neka aka alien: Oh neat!

[Kell looks at him in suprise.]

Neka: I mean, a lot of my species is deaf. Our world's pretty loud, and hearing is a recessive gene. My parents sent me up for adoption when they realized I wouldn't be able to do anything on-planet because the noise literally hurts, but at least they did't operate to "fix" me.

Kell (TTS): My parents tried to "fix" my hearing but it didn't work out. I can speak with my hands though. [signs in ASL, then types] like that. It's one of the human sign languages.

Neka: WHAT I speak a sign too! [signs in Sateen] You probably don't know that one, but I can do a bit of Universal Traders' Sign as well. it cool I have something in common with one of the scariest species in galaxy!

Kell (traders' sign): Nice to meet you. I promise not all humans are the fighting machines we are said to be.

Neka (traders'): It's been to long since I spoke anything close to my first language. um... you're the first human i've see off a security team and not holding weapons... can you tell me about like everything about humans? I've heard so much.

Kell (traders'): Of course! A lot of it is exaggerated, but there's always some humans who live up to the stories. Let me tell you about them.

[bixels]

What's K.O. CRISIS?

Hey all. Over the past couple months, I've gotten a lot of followers who probably don't know about my OCs and portfolio projects that I'm also working on, so I'm making a quick master-post for it!

K.O. CRISIS is a series of artwork––character designs, illustrations, sketches, and animations––inspired by late-90s/early-2000s anime and Y2K culture.

Set in an alternate-history Los Angeles in the year 2001, the story follows disabled Taiwanese-American Ashley Tang as she fights her way to the top of the bracket in the national augmented boxing championship.

As the youngest female fighter in the championship, she'll have to fight tooth-and-nail to defend her place amongst the heavy-weights. While her rare dual arm prosthetics help even the playing fields, it'll take more than brute strength to prove her worth.

But this isn't a story about an underdog triumphing against all odds. Throughout the story, Ashley will push herself to the limit for the sake of validating her existence under the grinding heel of the sports media machine, in a world that values disabled bodies more than their lives. As the championship rages on, one question seems to linger through the roar: Is Ash strong enough to win, or is she brave enough to quit?

Through the project, I'm hoping to explore representations of prosthetic-users in pop culture as "enhanced superheroes," as well as discussions of trans-humanism under medical capitalism, the fetishization of new technology, and the commodification of disabled people as entertainment.

Accompanying her journey include characters like Noora Balakrishnan, a local transfem prosthetics engineer who doubles as Ashley's ringside mechanical cutwoman.

The project is still in its early stages, especially since I sorta rebooted it earlier this year (meaning I'm no longer using past, outdated art for the project). If you enjoy it, you can find more artwork for the project under the #ko crisis tag!

[psychologeek]

Yes, this.

Give us disabled characters! Where the disability isn't the main plot!!

(in this rb: 1. Spesific + examples from my fic; 2. implications of "cure magic" - and why there still be disabled ppl)

Fanfic+examples

(bc I love my fanfic, and think it's interesting and well written. A batman, Cass-centric fic. )

The fic isn't about disability, but MC's recovery is tightly related to it - to have a self, a name, and ways to communicate with others. There are also at least 6 different communication ways.

It's also about culture, and how it shapes one's understanding of the world.

There are also many references to the Mayan myth of the twin heroes, puns, Jason and Cass as twins, and a LOT of misunderstandings and identity porn.

~

In my fanfic, MC wasn't taught/allowed to speak as a child. And also autistic.

At the beggining, MC is pre-verbal: the concept of language is strange.

(tw: self dehumanising ("it"), violence of a minor.)

Weapon don't know what. Weapon know this was people want and then touch Weapon and then move-confused-scared and noises. And then dagger in-and-out, and red and small noise, and people fall down and heavy and no more people . Just A sand sack. But it's liquid and heavier. And Weapon doesn't have the words or images or anything to even think about it. It just run, just keep going because -

Weapon can make people into sacks. ( No, please no ).

Later, they learn language (ASL), but they still use mostly functional language. Their thinking is very visual, which give us both tragic and comic moments of misunderstanding.

"What's Eh-Di-Ey?” They want to know. They want to capture all the little words, like bags in a jar they can recognise for the next time. “ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act.” They blink. “It means they need to help people who need special help. Or they get in trouble with the law. So I told her that you need help with reading and writing.” Cass knows law. It's people with hammers and big white wigs. They think about Hammer-Man gives Old Lady a pencil and tell her to write for Cass. It's a funny picture.

They learn to speak, but it's not easy - and there are scenes about how learning to make spesific sounds is hard and frustrating. They also struggle with understanding spoken.

"No, You Purple. You not Robin." Batgirl try to find the right way to explain.

"Nice to see you too, Batgirl," Purple-in-new-colors puts hands on her hips. "What, like you're the first in the suit? And by the way, fuck you – it's eggplant!"

"Little-tree omelette?" Batgirl signs, confused.

"No, just– just eggplant, in one word. It's a vegetable. What do you mean I'm not Robin, huh? What, you think I'm not good enough for that?"

Batgirl is confused.

Very very confused. "Why not good?" "Then why'd you tell me I can't be Robin?" Huh? "You're Purple. Not Robin. You're Purple."

On chapter 5+-, they are hit with a spell that make them understand language (which is canon) and I tried to portray what it's like to be overwhelmed by words. Because it's hard.

The thing, the- (alien, medium, telepath) did something and it hurts (ache, sore, agunish) and everything together and all at once like words hit the brain (noises become words, turn into pictures too much, too fast to understand. It's overwhelming. Exhausting.) The pictures-in-head keep going like movie night, keep see  it - like buildings fall on little people. But the building isn't concrete or bricks, it is made of words and all fall down and cover and hard to breathe. Everything push down and then fall, fall, fall like – But words still come after and cover– (It's like being buried alive, by the weight of words and sounds that all of a sudden has a meaning. It's hard to notice anything else. It's hard to understand, to read the bodies of everyone around.)  Yes, they can still fight. But it's so much harder to understand what happens. It's hard, it can no longer be a Weapon. (And it's scares )

They still use mostly ASL after that. They still use functional language (for example, "apple" instead of "please hand over the apple". ) And there are struggles and misunderstanding related to "speaking different languages".

"Oracle to Batgirl, do you copy?" Batgirl tap twice for yes. (Copy like "I hear you," not copy like "make another exactly like." Important difference to remember.)  "Good. Robin is heading your way, you'll work together tonight. Pay attention. Standard Patrol Protocol. Oracle out." Batgirl waits a second to understand everything. Robin is coming, work together tonight. "Heading" like "going this way," not "fall face first." Oracle… out? Of the house? For another mission? Maybe. She will ask Robin.

For more: the fic

Implications

Disclaimer: I have several disabilities, but not an amputee.

Also, "magic solutions" tend to ignore the environment.

For a simple example:

Ok, so your character regrew leg/had a leg-like magic. Cool.

Does it mean they don't have phantom pain?

How do they relearn to move with the new limb?

Aesthetic: If it's a re-grewed leg - it would be paler, as a new limb with no sun exposure. Magic - still keep the looks and overall looks from the environment where there's a "not leg". Which is a real issue for amputees irl.

Mentally - how your character adjusts to having a limb? Is there an equivalent of phantom pain?

Do they suffer from BIID? Body dysmorphia?

Body integrity identity disorder (BIID), or body integrity dysphoria, is a mental health condition where you feel that a limb or healthy body part shouldn't be part of your body. You're aware that this body part is healthy; you can still feel, use and move this body part, but you don't believe it should be yours.

And that's on top of my head, about a relatively "simple" fix.

(not to less the actual struggles of amputees. But to give a wider look.)

What about someone with CP? Down Syndrome? EDS?

What about intellectual disability?

Ethical issues:

can a caretaker decide for their charges to ongo this procedure?

Can you sue a (former) caretaker for making you take this? You're now considered your own guardian. But you never agreed to that in first place.

What about depression and anxiety and OCD?

What about PTSD?

This can have many, many implications.

And even if there was none, you'd still have people with disabilities - those who didn't match the current magic, or didn't want to go through, or any other reasons.

Remember y'all, *magic* doesn't negate the existence of disabled people. Eugenics does that. And Lainoff's book, All for One, is incredible and worth a read. It's on my bookshelf!

[spirk-trek]

Nightvisions Fanzine & Novel | Merle Decker, Signe Landon (1979)

Nightvisions, by Susan K. James and Carol A. Frisbie, is one of the first standalone k/s novels published in a zine. It can be read in full here!

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

The Disability Representation Test I came up with (eventually)

It's been a hot minute since I posted about this; I was reminded of it by this post, talking about disabled people (or lack thereof) in 'utopian' sci-fi.

This was inspired by the Bechdel-Wallace Test for women's representation. And while I recognize that that has been taken out of context, and overused as a means of film and literary critique, I found the process of coming up my own version useful for figuring out what I find satisfying in a story (I've named it The 1,001 Problems Test):

One: There's at least one disabled person (Requiring more than one, as in the Bechdel-Wallace Test, would be too easy to "pass" by putting them in an institutional setting, rather than in mainstream society, especially in a short story, with only a few characters to begin with)

Two: Who wants something (Too often, the disabled character is only there as a way for the protagonist to show their qualities and morals, but is never given a chance to express desires of their own)

Three: Besides Cure, Revenge, or Death (A disabled character can certainly want to be cured--especially for chronic pain, fatigue, and progressive conditions--but they should want something else, too. They should have some motivating factor beyond their disability).

Four: And takes action to try and get it. (See point Two; if you retold your story from your disabled character's P.O.V., could they be the protagonist, or are they just looking at the world through the window, waiting for someone else to rescue them?)

[cripplecharacters]

hello! im writing a futuristic story centering around disabled protagonists with superpowers and wanted to add in a character with brittle bones who uses a wheelchair to help prevent damage to their legs, but since it is a futuristic story, would it be okay to give them a story arc later on where they build their own robotic mobility aids / mech suit type thing to get around? i dont want to act like their not disabled or anything but i really want to give them a chance to make mobility aids that suit them better later on. if this is cool, do you have any tips for how to go about this?

Hello,

It depends on what kind of mech.

If you're going for something form-fitting, like Iron Man's armor, don't. That's widely agreed to be negating the disability and, for most conditions, it will not work. He will still need to use his legs inside the mech. He is still putting weight on them. A suit of armor is not going to protect his bones.

But a larger mech, like the one Peni Parker used in Into the Spiderverse, could work. It's basically a giant mobility device. It's not a viable substitute for his disabled legs, it doesn't suddenly make it so he can walk and run, it's just another thing he uses to get around without damaging his legs.

But giving him a form-fitting mech is basically another version of giving an upper-limb amputee a bionic arm that functions just as good as, if not better than, their flesh arm. Don't do that.

Mod Aaron

[doyouknowthisdisabledcharacter]

Do You Know This Disabled Character?

Murderbot has social anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

[shadefish]

New commission prices! DM me here or on other social medias to inquire about comms!

[bowtiepastabitch]

Biting off a bit more than I can chew today. I doubt I’ll be able to read them all, but checking them out is good for the library and it’s good for me. Plus I’m being optimistic, maybe something here can fix the burnout. (Neil Gaiman please save me) If not, I shall simply absorb the book magic via the osmosis of keeping them on my bedside table for the next two weeks. Library books are cool like that.

[noahhawthorneauthor]

I am finalizing Matsdotter and Adrastus this week! Which means I'll be pretty quiet, so to make up for it I present: 60 books which are organized by ✨vibes.✨

You've got tragic and messed up gays. (Red Rising isn't gay, but you can only hate him so much before it gets a little gay)

You've got the paranormal and/or mystery gay disasters.

You've got the I'm figuring things out queers.

You've got the what the f*ck did I just read horror babes. (Who are, you guessed it, queer)

You've got kids versus gender and/or neurodivergencies.

You've got queer witches finding themselves, and love.

You've got gorgeous worlds cheering on even more beautiful romances.

You've got people who will do anything for those they love, no matter the distance.

You've got epic stories with stabby characters, and a lot of sailing.

You've got the mutants, the weirdos who know they have to break things to truly fix them.

[cy-cyborg-draws]

This is Pedri, one of the side characters from my comic Voidstar. He's a long-time friend of Wev's, an expert spaceship mechanic and pilot. Originally, he showed up late in the first arc of the story, but in the last batch of rewrites his introduction got pushed back to late in the second arc. Despite taking a bit longer to appear, I am planning for him to play a major roll in the story!

I actually drew him on my first art stream on twitch today! It was pretty fun and I think I am going to keep doing regular streams!

[ID: An illustration of a bipedal, 4 armed, blue alien with a long snout, 4 eyes and 6 rabbit-like ears. There is webbing between the aliens' arms and torso, creating a pair of wing-like appendages. He is wearing loose clothing with an opening over his stomach, showing a pouch on his stomach with a mask hanging around his neck, holding a spanner. /End ID]

[taro-pdf]

HaSO: Not all humans are the same Humanity, neurodiversity, and connection in space

[Fern (human) walks through the break room of a spaceship. Two minutes later, she passes through again.] Egor [bromid]: what is the human doing? Vuna [bromid]: I do not know. We are just transporting her. Human Jeffery? Jeffery [human]: I don’t know either, Vuna; we call that pacing, but who knows why she’s doing it. 

V: but you’re a human. J [shrugs]: I’m not a human expert. [Fern enters the room] V: Fern? F [not stopping]: Vuna? V: Where are you walking? F [at the door]: Just walking. E: I’m going to join her! [F and E exit. Two minutes later, they walk through again, giggling together] V: Well, whatever floats their ship, to use the human phrase. J: Boat. But yeah, happy to see them happy.

[mephestopheles]

So I've been thinking, as you do, about Mass Effect and the type of armor upgrades available, especially in the first game, I'm going broadly available for all three. Specifically, I'm thinking about their use in relation to Joker and his disability.

They did a decent job accounting for it and not handwaving it because ooh space magic, which yes thank you, but I feel that there are options for accomodations that don't rely on your brittle pilot trying to run through the ship that would still make things easier for him.

The medical interface and exoskeleton from ME1 comes to mind, both assist with healing and the exoskeleton would give him stability. Maybe that's how his braces work?

Also I think he should get a cool chair. Not just the pilots seat, but a cool wheelchair like the racing style ones? The super small and mobile kind that gives him freedom. It's the future he could have things that make all those stupid stairs in the citadel easy peasy.

Even for pure mechanical adjustments he could have shock absorbers in his braces to help with potential impact fractures.

I get that these were built for combat, but they have practical applications for Joker. He'd also have training in light armor, I'm assuming, so even if he decided to modify some of these himself to make things easier for him, that's at least a start.