#flying while disabled
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hey does anyone have any exoerience flying Alaska airlines with a wheelchair? anybody know how they stack up against other airlines? I have a small and pretty cheap manual chair but I'd still rather they didn't break it
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So I'm on a trip to see friends and I'm coming home and when I land at my fucin uhhhh transfer the next flight is on the other side of airport and I have no time to get there cuz I'm crippled and walk super slow due to a spinal injury and Calf weakness and I was freaking out but like
I just talked to a flight attendant and she was like oh yes of course I will make aure a wheel chair is ready for u and someone will wheel u to the other side of airport. They didn't ask to make sure I was the "right kind of disabled" or judge me for looking able bodied (I have invisible disabilities although if u look it's clear I have disabilities) the flight attendant just automatically offered accommodations.
Ngl I was scared to ask. I hadn't asked the whole trip because I'd had a lot of time and I'd just struggled. I shouldn't have. I have every right to have accommodations. But because I was dressed weirdly I was scared they'd judge me (not appropriate. People should care no matter the appearance) . But someone took time out of their day to make sure I could make my flight with proper accommodations.
THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE EVERYWHERE. NO OPPRESSION TESTING. NO MEANS TESTING. JUST A WILLINGNESS TO CARE FOR AND ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE IN NEED OF HELP NO MATTER HOW MINUTE THEIR NEED MAY BE OR HOW SILLY THEY LOOK OR SEEM.
Edit: this experience makes me happy but also sad at the same time. Lemme explain ~
Like. I know I have privilege because I'm thin and semi attractive (according to others) . I think a lot abt how maybe someone who doesn't pass or how someone who's fat would be treated in the same boat
Bonus photo. Sephiroth on a plane with a cloud face mask
- Seph
#disabilities#accommodation#airfare#disability accommodation#care#care for disabled people#ada#wheelchair user#crippled people matter#sephiroth speaks#flying while disabled
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I'm preparing some writing advice posts and while researching I came across an article (that's not the right word but I can't think of the correct one lol) released by the journal of the American society of plastic surgeons in 1989 and while it was a helpful source (at least, the snipped I saw that's not locked behind a paywall anyway), I just had to laugh at how the author decided to introduce and frame the topic (examples of amputees using prosthetics in the antiquity/renaissance periods). This was the opening paragraph:
"The ideal of physical perfection has always required completeness and symmetry; a missing body part renders a person unusual, vulnerable, and ugly. Consequently, since antiquity, amputees have sought to correct this unacceptable condition."
Like geeze, ok, what did amputees ever do to you, who hurt you 😂? It was written in the 80's so I'm not shocked or upset by any means, I found it funny honestly (and I do recognise the author, who seems to be a plastic surgeon, was likely just repeating the sentiments some of their patients said they were feeling) but this sounds like the author just really has something against amputees specifically lmao.
#in all seriousness this is why its important to talk about internalised ableism. this wasnt framed as an opinion but an objective fact#while its funny looking back on this kind of stuff the medical feild has massive problems with ableism. its gotten better and i dont think#would fly today there are still too many people whos job it is to work with disabled and chronically ill people who think like this#disability#disabilities#disabled#amputee#doctors#ableism
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#im going to have to leave the country for a while#im going to have to fly back across the world and live with my mom#i love her but many parts of this experience will suck#but unfortunately there is no safe way for me to remain in the us right now having overstayed my visa#even if i win the asylum case im pursuing what the fuck then#im a disabled asian immigrant tranny with a failed degree and an empty resume#the only path forward is to return to singapore for however long it takes to figure out how to return#it wont be the worst thing in the world. but it sure fucking feels like it right now#don't rb
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My object ocs will be going through the most god awful torture of mind and body, forced to do rigorous challenges with lethal threat for broadcasted entertainment. And it doesn't matter cuz at the end of the day bro is a pack of gum with a little face on it
#balloon is a disabled old man and is used by selfish players to get a flying advantage#coconut literally killed someone because he was starving to death and they were a can of peaches#Caramel is an actual 12 yr old#my favourite is this guy who strains himself during tug o war and his arms pop off cartoony style but theres actual pain felt#while everyone else freaks out abt his arms popping clean off H0ST is like ''oops
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i’ve always gate checked my mobility aids because the wheelchairs in the airport can’t be operated on your own if you need to get food, go to the bathroom, etc & sometimes they’re running late but if you’re going to do that, reserve one in advance (call or sometimes website). you should get a receipt for gate checking, hang onto it + take a picture.
it’s ideal to have the specs somewhere you can easily access them ahead of time (weight, dimensions, type of battery if you have an electric device, brand & model, if/how it folds). take photos of your device ahead of time as proof of its condition in case they fuck something up.
if you use a large mobility aid such as a fullsize (ie non-foldable) powerchair, check the size aircraft you’re flying on — some devices literally can’t fit on certain planes.
a lot of times airport employees etc don’t know any of the paperwork they need to give you, whether there is any, what to do with you, etc etc so be prepared for some running around like chickens with their heads cut off & potentially taking that out on you. it can go more smoothly if you call ahead (often even if you indicate online people don’t check or otherwise aren’t aware) but even that’s not a guarantee.
look up & know your rights ahead of time and be prepared to advocate for yourself or have someone flying with you who is familiarized & ready to advocate for you. i’ve had so much bullshit happen but keep in mind it’s not your fault. buy yourself a little treat afterwards if need be.
i’m happy to answer more specific questions if anyone needs it! i’ve flown domestically (in the US) with a forearm rollator and powerchair and internationally with a mobility scooter. good luck & safe travels! 💓🖤💓
Hi I'm sorry if this is annoying so please feel free to ignore if you want! I was just wondering if you have any tips or things to know for flying with a wheelchair. I'm about to go on my first flight with mine and I'm super anxious about it. Hope you're having a good day!
Hmm I'll be honest I don't know much about the logistics of this. I would definitely recommend keeping a paper trail for when/where it gets checked, at the very least. Maybe even see if you can package it yourself against damage, since baggage handlers aren't always the most careful (there are wheelchairs at the airports that you can use while yours is in transit). Good luck!
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oh hey does anyone hve that post about flying while disabled n your rights n accomdations n stuff
#metal speaks#metal screams#help a bitch out im flying to WI later this month *sobbing emojis*#very eggsited cuz i get to see my partner but terriffied of flying#terrified of flying while disabled
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Me: The overhead bin above my row is full and ready to be closed, so I store my cane securely in front of all the bags up there, like I do every time when I take a cane onto a plane, then I sit back down in my seat, chill, and try to relax.
Some fucking idiot looking for a spot to store her suitcase: Decides to mess with the overhead bin above me that clearly has no more room for anything, drops my cane square onto my head.
#ableds' bullshit#why are people like this#disabled travel#disabled#cripple punk#babe with a mobility aid#flying while crippled
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Iron Man (1968) #48
#originally Tony justified keeping his heart problems a secret with that#he thought that people would make the connection between the Iron Man and the chestplate that powered his heart#when he finally collapses in a public place from a heart attack he’s able to play it as his heart is too weak for him to be Iron Man#which is based in the truth that the strain of being Iron Man would be a lot on Tony’s heart and could kill him#but that’s secretly mitigated by how the suit helps power Tony’s heart#and he also had Happy fly around in the suit while he was in the hospital to help sell it#but after that point Tony still consistently worked to downplay his heart issues and keep when they presented a problem a secret#which is attributed here to that he didn’t want to be so publicly vulnerable and be pitied#and instead wanting to project an image of control#I remember a previous story where Tony thought that if he was so publicly disabled then he would be forced to stop being Iron Man#and would be taken care of and stuck in bed and become that vulnerable person who’s dependent on other people#so it was necessary for him to minimize his heart condition so that he wouldn’t be stopped from living the life he wanted#the character puts a lot more weight on the limitations that other people would put on him if they knew how precarious his situation was#and disregards what would seem to be sensible limitations based on his heart condition#he does what he wants without considering his heart problems except for when he’s using them to justify why he can’t live a normal life#which generally is used to refer to having a serious girlfriend or wife#marvel#tony stark#my posts#comic panels
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Yes, there is absolutely! a comment period, and it has been extended to June 12th! As far as I understand: you can make public comment here. I think it's crucial to note that while this encompasses negligence around broken and mishandled equipment, and people with those sorts of horrors should absolutely submit comment! it by no means limits itself to that. This rule also concerns itself with enforcement of improper transfers, ala the grueling, humiliating ordeal of Charles Brown. Which I'm frustrated more people aren't emphasizing, as it matters so fucking much to get voices who've been dehumanized in similar fashion into the comments, too. There's a brilliant list of Do's and Don't's linked as a list on the comment page. Per that list's request, I'd urge you to peruse the full regulation before commenting
As a disabled person who's loved LEVERAGE and LEVERAGE REDEMPTION since the beginning - for the characters but also the whole ethos of performing acts that help people against crap systems, it's wonderful to be reminded that it springs from reality.
#I wasn't seeing a good reblog chain with both the transcript. and thank you OP! for both doing a transcript! and! ensuring all the links#posted on Bluesky actually worked <33333333 out here doing god's work. but wasn't seeing a good compilation of both said script and! the#comment resources so *shrugs* made one.#look. I've been lucky. I'm ambulatory enough I can use airport wheelchairs for long distances on the rare occasions I fly. but I'm#profoundly aware that dynamic could change. Even now. I'm terrified to bring my light transport chair with me. meaning that when I went to#Vegas in 2020. assuming there hadn't been. y'know. a global pandemic. I still wouldn't have been able to do anything with distance because#I get so tired on the cane. and dear God. that's a $119 affair. If I actually have to transition to an electric one. I can't even#*imagine* the terror. I do know I'd never have the monetary ability to bring it with me *anywhere* without much. much stronger guarantees#on replacement. and. while it's nothing to Mr. Brown or so many other horrors I've heard of#I absolutely ended up with an aching and bruised face. thanks to the TSA agent insisting I stand up for a pat-down and not thinking to#tell my blind ass about the mat I was about to stumble on. most folk? would've caught their balance from such a minor stumble.#with my CP? it was down onto the nose goes Nick hour. so I absolutely know this shit happens frequently. all that said! I initially went#looking for the transcript for a warm story of#humans being awesome#nad that is absolutely what I got! I knew John Rogers was a good egg because of his prolific tweeting during the WGA strikes#but this? this is a fucking masterclass in how to be a good disabiliy ally and it's making me sniffly in the best way#disability
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i do nyawt know how i am going to handle the 8 hour solo flight i have coming in november i had to go out for like an hour today and i thought i was gonna die
#hmm when the disability disables you#i do want to go visit my family (well mostly the dogs im just dogsitting and my family will be on holiday lol) but 8 hour flight is... hmmm#they do Not make airplane seats for fatties let me tell u what i am always So sore after#sidenote still crazy that they're flying me out there to dogsit while they go on holiday. lmao
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astral tadpole? YES PLEASE
her companions can judge her all they like. minthara said she was exquisite again and that's all the approval she needs
#it's been ages since i actually accepted the tadpole on my edelzyne save i just never drew it as visible#i'm a pussy as one might say and i had illithid visuals disabled#but i replaced them with that half illithid face vein mod#not sure how i feel about the fully black eyes yet#and it's gonna look weird af on sylphin#but hey this is the price for dope flying powers#(i actually think the black eyes make the vanilla illithid visuals look decent but it's still a bit too drastic for my silly willy ass)#anyways i'll play around with this for a while i can always replace the file i put in with the one i used before later#file surgery!!#oc: edelzyne#my art#act 3 spoilers
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you know basket case 2's commitment to trying to make the characters both sympathetic but also people to be gawked at and feared, then turning a bad pretty blonde character into "one of them" at the end reminds me of freaks 1932. not as bad this time around since they didnt use actual disabled people this time (i think a few of the extras in the background resembled a deformity though)
#i should rewatch the fly....#pretty much a reminder that the horror genre is both something that people with disabilities and chronic illnesses see themselves in#while also being pretty cruel towards you#then again evil ugly disabled isnt uncommon outside of horror. but given that people make slasher victims annoying or boring#and try to make the antagonists look unique you tend not to care for the perfect pretty actors as much as the guy with the chainsaw#im sorry final girls but your friends and your boyfriends suck ass
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Exploring How Toph Beifong Could Be Played By A Blind Actress and Refuting Reasons Some People Believe She Couldn’t
[Image Description: Toph Beifong from Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is waving her hand in front of her face after joking that she spotted the great library, tricking the Gaang only to remind them that she is blind. She rides on Appa who is flying above a desert landscape. End I.D.]
The live-action adaptation of season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender is underway. This means people are discussing Toph again, much like they did during pre-production of season 1. I have seen and even participated in promoting the idea of Toph being portrayed by a blind actress. Similarly, I have come across push-back against the idea.
Instead of if Toph Should Be Portrayed by a Blind Actress, Let’s Focus on How She Could
(should and could are bolded for emphasis)
This post will address common misconceptions that serve as barriers to the idea of a blind actress portraying Toph.
A Few Notes Before We Start
These points come from posts on online forums, YouTube comments on videos related to the casting of Toph, and tumblr posts. No one will be specifically called out here, as while these points may be attributed to certain individuals online, they represent much wider views that are shared by many, even without malicious intent. These common misconceptions stem from unchecked ableism and general lack of information. Keep in mind that my intention is not to call out any individual person, as ableism is a widespread, collective problem. The reasons I refuted in this post showed up repeatedly and were not isolated opinions of one or two people.
1. No, it would not be too difficult to find an actress who is Asian, blind, and the right age
[Image Description: Toph as The Blind Bandit uses earthbending to create three pillars of rock that shoot at an angle from the ground and smash into her opponent, throwing him against the arena wall. End I.D.]
This point suggests that it is difficult to find candidates fitting Toph’s description. I suspect this is due to racism and ableism, in that a white and abled person is considered default and therefore believed to be more common, especially by Western studio standards. This is not truly the case. People of color and disabled people are auditioning, especially for the comparatively few roles that seek them out specifically, such as Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Blind Asian people exist. Some of these people are also actresses. Some have backgrounds in dance or martial arts, especially because many actors do similar activities to increase endurance and versatility. Finding a pre-teen or teenager to play Toph would not be as challenging as many people believe, especially those who already underestimate the amount of blind people in the world and their abilities.
Those who argue this point may be under the impression that a blind actress would be out of reach due to low numbers and lack of interest in auditioning. Blind people are auditioning. The reason you don’t see them on screen is because most of them are ignored in favor of abled actors. For example, in this video, Molly Burke discusses not being chosen to play a blind character whom she was told was based on her own life. The actress chosen to play the character was not blind. You can watch it here.
Additionally, Netflix has the ability to hold a widespread casting call. They are not a tiny studio doing productions in someone’s backyard. They have access to a wider pool of actresses than the average person might think, particularly if said person is not familiar with the resources big studios often have at their disposal.
In fact, Netflix is doing just that. Below is a link to their casting call, which encourages blind and low vision actresses to audition.
Link to casting call here with alt text.
2. Some people believe Toph isn’t really blind and therefore the actress who plays her needs to be able to see
[Image Description: Toph as The Blind Bandit using bending, with shots showing her hands and feet. As her bare foot slides sideways across the ground, the camera zooms out to show her sensing vibrations. The image turns greyscale, with circles of white vibrations emanating from around Toph’s body, where they expand and flow outward. End I.D.]
The rationale behind this is probably the same as it is for Daredevil, meaning some don’t consider Toph to be blind because of the way she uses her bending.
An argument could be made that Toph’s powers erase her blindness or that her powerful abilities make her less relatable to the average blind person. However, I suspect that many sighted people engaging with these discussions of Toph’s casting are not also concerned with questions of erasure or relatability. In discussions questioning her blindness, the evidence given mostly centers on Toph’s physical abilities rather than relatability to real blind people.
Her bending aside, Toph is certainly blind. She experiences ableism from her parents and general community. Blindness shaped her life in a lot of ways, even with her bending, which is also influenced by her disability.
We see Toph being guided while running on the airship, needing assistance while walking on ice, and struggling to travel in a desert. She uses her other senses, including hearing and tactile senses. She has limitations regarding how she is able to interact with an unaccommodating world, such as inaccessible reading and writing systems.
There are also lifestyle and cultural implications of blindness extending beyond the inability to see. Being blind is not only about what one can and cannot do, which is true of Toph’s experience as well. Blind people may have different values, experiences with family and friends, different senses of humor, or may place higher value on other sensory experiences compared to sighted peers.
Whether or not Toph is good blindness representation can be argued. However, she is still a blind character. Her blindness influences her whole life, even as she is more than her blindness at the same time. Her life as a blind person is about more than limitations and abilities. Reducing her, and any blind person, for that matter, to only these facets of her experience oversimplifies what it is like to be a blind person.
Claiming that she isn’t a blind character because of her ability to do x, y, and z can be incorrect for a lot of reasons.
Blind people are more than what we can do or what we produce. Our experiences are rich and varied. Our lives are inherently meaningful no matter our abilities or limitations. It is both ableist and inaccurate for sighted people to attempt to put us all into boxes.
Additionally, blindness is a spectrum. [Bolded for emphasis.] You can read about it at the following posts on my blog:
here
here
here
and here.
Here is a good list of legally blind YouTubers with various types of visual experiences.
According to various sources on the blindness spectrum, about 85% to 95% of blind people have some remaining vision:
93% according to RNIB
This Perkins School For the Blind fact sheet estimates about 90 to 95% of blind have some remaining vision
American Foundation for the Blind estimates about 15% of blind people are totally blind and discusses the spectrum of blindness here
The spectrum of blindness is important because our experiences become even more diverse when the spectrum is considered. This means that assumptions about what we can and cannot do become even harder for sighted folks to guess accurately.
This accuracy is important if sighted people are going to try to put limitations on blind people, which they have no business doing anyway. They are not the authority on what blind people can do, what we cannot do, or what is good for us. Only blind people can answer that for themselves.
Lastly, blind people are already used to navigating and interacting with their surroundings. They have had anywhere from months to a lifetime of experience, which would translate better to Toph’s ease with her blindness and confidence in her bending.
While an actor wearing contacts to obscure their vision might stumble around and have difficulty on set, someone who is actually blind could lend Toph’s character a much more relaxed, confident attitude in addition to possessing experience navigating in a way that works for her. She is used to being blind. Therefore, an actress who is also used to being blind brings a lot to the performance in terms of physicality, attitude, and the ability to focus on portraying the character, rather than simulating blindness.
Which leads me into the next point.
3. The idea that Toph doesn’t move like a blind person relies on stereotypes of blind people
[Image Description: A GIF from the episode “The Runaway”. Toph, Sokka, and Aang all con some con artists and cheer after their victory, Toph raising her arms high before snatching the prizes. They all run away. End I.D.]
There is no specific way of moving like a blind person. Like sighted people, the way blind people move may be influenced by many factors, such as level of vision, how long they have been blind, their mobility aid, navigation techniques, familiarity with their environment, level of confidence, feelings of safety, other disabilities, energy levels, cultural factors, and more.
While there are mannerisms that are recognizable to blind communities, there is no one way to move like a blind person. Just as there is no one way to look blind.
The ideas of “not moving like a blind person” or “not looking blind” come from stereotypes of blindness. In fact, these ideas can be so pervasive that blind people who don’t fit stereotypes may be accused of faking. I explore this subject here.
In this video, Sam from The Blind Life discusses the experience of performing blindness or being pressured to act more blind than he is. Link here. He explains while he has some vision, he uses his cane to indicate to others that he is blind. This is one of the main functions of a cane. Sam explains feeling pressure to adhere to certain stereotypes about blindness or risk being accused of faking.
Similarly, in this video linked here, Molly Burke discusses the stereotype that blind people’s eyes look noticeably different from sighted eyes. This includes the inaccurate belief that all blind people have cloudy eyes, blank eyes, eyes that are always closed, or eyes that simply must be covered in dark sunglasses to protect the sensibilities of sighted people. Molly explains that while blind people can certainly have these attributes, not all of us do. Molly laments that the phrase, “You don’t look blind,” is either used to invalidate her or to praise her for passing as a sighted person, which is ableist.
Just as blind people don’t look the same way, we don’t move the exact same ways either. That applies to Toph as well. For example, she prefers to keep her feet on solid ground for bending purposes, orientation, and possibly due to cultural factors valuing stability and connection to the earth.
4. The idea that accommodations would be impossible to provide is rooted in ableism
[Image description: A GIF of Toph and Zuko sitting beside each other on the floor at the Ember Island theatre episode. Toph punches Zuko’s arm. Metaphorically for the purposes of this post, she is punching ableist ideas that have nothing to do with Zuko. End I.D]
Here is a thread I shared in the early days of this blog, wherein the topics of blind actors and accommodations are discussed. The entire thread might also be helpful for this post, as I explore the same points, which shows how common these misconceptions are. While this may seem to be an isolated online disagreement, none of these arguments are new. That is why I believe this topic is important— these arguments about accommodations being too difficult or a burden on others also pop up in conversations about other workforces and other disabilities.
A blind character not being played by a blind actor is one thing. A blind person not being hired for a job they are qualified for due to resistance to providing accommodations is not so easy to ignore, not so seemingly isolated a concern. These barriers don’t only apply to blind actors looking for work. They apply to all blind people looking for work.
That means most of this isn’t really about Toph, nor the opinions of random people online. Instead, I hope to highlight common patterns in ableist thinking and dispel these ideas using a character people care about. This is, of course, in addition to my own desire to have a blind actress play Toph.
With that said, let’s explore what work accommodations might look like using examples of blind actors.
Dionne Quan is a blind actress who has an extensive filmography for voiceover work, including popular characters such as Kimi from Rugrats. In this article from when the character was first introduced, she discusses how she performs. Link.
Quote from the article: “Most of the recording was done in a studio with just a mike and a stand for the script. I had the lines in braille, and I would read them on the way over to get into character. You have to have your bag of tricks ready to go.”
Most of the work Quan discusses involves typical acting stuff. The accommodations given to her are similar to adaptations that might be made in an office setting. Additionally, with all the technology available now, it is easy to make a script accessible through large print, VoiceOver and memorization, Word document instead of a PDF, a Braille display, etc.
And as of August 2024, Quan can add adult Toph Beifong to her list of characters. Which is super exciting and, I thought, an appropriate fact to include in this post. You can read more here.
To continue the discussion of accommodations for actors, I would like to discuss Ellie Wallwork. Wallwork is a blind actress who has performed on Doctor Who.
She describes her experiences on set, such as blocking scenes and using tactile accommodations in this short video from the SeeSaw podcast. Link here.
Transcript:
Elie Wallwork speaking:
“Obviously, markers are just normally flat bits of tape on the floor. I had to have some sort of tactile ones so I knew where I was stepping onto. And it takes longer. It definitely takes a bit longer. I guess the thing that frustrates me about the industry is that sometimes casting directors will think, ‘Well, how could a blind person possibly do this, do that? How could they do stunts? How could they even navigate around set?’ But it’s perfectly possible if you— for example, with the crew that I had on all the productions I’ve been on, they’ve all been really kind, really patient with me and able to understand that, yeah, okay, it might take me five minutes longer to block a scene, but that’s fine because it means it’s authentic.”
End transcript.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Lastly, I find that many sighted people are not generally knowledgeable when it pertains to what blind people can or cannot do. Examples of this lack of knowledge include frequent questions about how blind people read, exist in online spaces, cook, etc—and these are simply from posts on my own blog.
Here is a link to a discussion thread that explores ableist assumptions people often make what blind people are or are not able to do. It particularly relevant for this topic. Link can be found here. Please remember that while I did respond to some folks who expressed opinions colored by ableist assumptions, that post is not about them. Just as this post is about addressing ableism in general rather than from a specific source.
The point is: consider why abled people are so comfortable stating what blind people can and cannot do, when one of the most common questions about blindness is still “how do you use a phone or the internet?”
People who aren’t blind often fail to grasp what our limitations actually are. Many people are still surprised to learn that technology or accommodations exist for us, despite having access to various forms of technology themselves. They struggle to understand that we can live our daily lives, possibly because they personally cannot imagine themselves without the vision they rely on, such as that time a professor asked blind content creator Stephanie Renburg [quote] “How do you live?” when the conversation was supposed to be about school accommodations [Link here].
This brings me to an assertion that is often made when sighted actors obscure their vision in order to play blind characters. It is often noted that it was too hard for them emotionally, mentally, and physically. Because of this reaction, the assumption is made that a blind person cannot possibly perform the role.
For example, in the article linked here, this is stated about Jamie Foxx in his role as Ray Charles. “Some actors, including Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in “Ray” (2004, best actor) and Blake Lively in “All I See Is You” (2017), have chosen to wear ocular prosthetics, rendering them literally blind during their performances. But this creates a new problem: Unlike real blind people, who can spend years honing their orientation and mobility skills, the blindfolded sighted person becomes lost, confused and frightened with the sudden loss of sight — Foxx told interviewers he began hyperventilating as soon as his eyes were glued shut with the custom prosthetic eyelids that the filmmakers affixed over his eyes.”
Being blind is different from a sighted person temporarily obscuring their vision. Blind people have a better handle on being blind because we’ve been doing it longer. Blindness is part of our lives. Of course blind people are going to have an easier time portraying blind characters. This means most of the concerns people bring up when discussing sighted actors struggling with being unable to see won’t actually apply to blind people who have been at this for far longer.
I also wanted to address the idea that hiring blind actors would cost more, according to the assertion made in that thread about hiring blind actors, which you can read here if you haven��t already. While I can understand why someone might believe hiring a blind actor would cost more, I believe it would actually cost less.
Blind actors can use their own canes or other assistive devices used by the character, which saves money on expensive materials
Blind actors likely already have experience with O&M training, saving money and time that would otherwise be spent training a sighted actor, such as described here
Blind actors don’t need contacts or prosthetics, which may otherwise be used help an actor simulate blindness
And blind actors would have an easier time navigating sets, dancing, or doing required physical activities while blind, which reduces the learning curve that sighted actors with obscured vision need
A few Disclaimers:
1) Blind people learn from our communities and through life experience. While we naturally have more experience being blind, our knowledge is enhanced through learning from other blind people and participating in training designed to improve our life skills. I maintain that a sighted person obscuring their vision for a few hours will not have the same level of experience.
2) Reminder that blindness is a spectrum that a blindfold cannot replicate.
and 3) This post is not to say that sighted actors cannot do well or cannot put effort into their performance. According to the article above, Charlie Cox won an award from the AFB for his commitment to portraying Daredevil. However, just because there are sighted actors willing to put in the work does not mean blind actors can’t. I wanted to include this disclaimer in case someone sees the AFB article I shared and worried I’m trying to disparage actors who have already portrayed blind characters and happened to do a good job. After all, I love the original performance we received from Michaela Murphy, who originally voiced Toph. That doesn’t mean studios should not make an effort to cast more blind actors moving forward, nor does it justify any of the silly or explicitly ableist reasons people give for why sighted actors must be chosen over blind ones.
Let us return to refuting those excuses with the last thing I wanted to address.
5. Some people are concerned that a blind person might get hurt doing martial arts, but so can literally anyone else
[Image description: GIF of Toph dressed in Fire Nation attire. She punches through a rock.]
Kids can get hurt in any kind of sport, yet society doesn’t try to keep children from these activities for their own safety. However, disabled kids—and adults for that matter—are often reminded that we are being kept out of spaces for our own protection. Which we didn’t need, nor ask for.
This need to protect disabled people can be not only infantilizing, but hypocritical as well. For example, a blind person might be discouraged from playing recreational sports in a misguided attempt to protect them. Conversely, structures that keep blind people at risk are allowed to stay firmly in place, such as discrimination around transportation, inaccessible infrastructure, and poverty.
Blind people play sports anyway. Often, these sports carry their own risks of injury, as most sports do. Blind people have the agency to understand this and consent to it. Examples include blind football [link] and goalball [link].
Here is a video of Sadi the Blind Lady discussing goalball with Eliana Mason, a Paralympic athlete who plays goalball professionally.
Transcript: “Goalball is sport for blind and visually impaired athletes. It was created after World War II for blinded veterans and is now a Paralympic sport. The coolest thing about it is that everyone wears eyeshades so no matter what your level of vision loss is—because blindness is a spectrum— it equalizes it. The ball has bells in it and the court is straight with tape over it. It’s on a volleyball sized court. It’s three on three. And basically in offense, we are throwing the ball as hard as we can with a lot of technique involved, about 30 to 45 miles an hour to have it hit the ground and roll and hit the other players on their bodies. And on defense, you are throwing your body out and diving in front of this 3 pound ball and blocking it. So essentially you want to get hit with the ball.”
End transcript.
Getting hit with a ball, especially in the face or stomach area, is going to hurt. That is okay, because as long as safety precautions are taken, pain might be part of the experience depending on the rules and anticipated possibility of injury.
Martial arts and dance, which are backgrounds sought specifically in the Netflix Toph casting call, can also lead to accepted forms of pain or discomfort. While one could argue that sports injuries could and should be preventable, this post is more concerned with the expectation of pain, injuries, and what steps are taken to prevent them, such as protective gear or an experienced coach / teacher.
A blind person auditioning for Toph knows that martial arts will be involved. She will spend time learning choreography, building trust with co-actors, and figuring out works best for her. This structure is similar for blind people playing football or goalball or tennis or fencing or whatever else they want to do.
Lastly, people who aren’t blind also experience pain or injury during sports. Same with martial arts or dance.
The actress who plays Toph might get hurt. She might not. Some pain might even be an expected part of training. That is no reason to exclude a blind person from participating. That is no reason to say Toph couldn’t be played by a blind actress. [Bolded for emphasis]
Lastly, anyone training actors on fight choreography already knows how to do so safely. That fact that this is choreography is also helpful, allowing for memorization of actions and reactions. Conversely, the sports and physical activities I listed above are not choreographed, with the exception of dance, and are therefore less predictable. Therefore, if blind people can get head injuries playing on a recreational blind football team, a blind actress can handle fight choreography.
Closing
Thank you for reading all of this. My points still stand whether or not a blind person is actually cast for Toph.
Too Long, Didn’t Read:
Unchecked ableism can lead to oppression even if it is unintentional
Blind actors exist
A blind actor would better capture Toph’s ease and confidence with her blindness
Blind people can do a lot more than sighted people usually think they can
Blind people also face discrimination and limitations that sighted people may not have considered
Blindness is a spectrum and most blind people can still see something
There is no one way to look or move like a blind person
Accommodations are not that difficult to provide
Hiring a blind person would actually cost less money
Most of the popular reasons people believe Toph cannot be played by a blind actress are rooted in ableism
This post is not only about Toph or actors, but an example of how unchecked ableism can be harmful
For example, low employment rates for blind people, inaccessible online resources, or Toph-related posts shared without image descriptions
Toph Beifong could totally be played by a blind actress
#blind#atla toph#toph beifong#atla#netflix atla#netflix avatar#Toph Beifong casting Netflix#ableism#blind characters
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One of my roommates went across the country for cancer treatment, which went well, but she had to get a rushed ticket back home to continue treatment because insurance in america is a everloving nightmare. She will have surgery soon and might be flying back out.
Between that and my other roommate and I being horribly sick rn, we are way shorter on rent than expected. First covid test was negative, testing again tomorrow as per the at home kit instructions.
So yeah, we are horribly sick and rent is due today. Technically, tomorrow bc of the bank holiday. Dm me for proof or more details. If we receive anything over the goal for rent, it will go to getting us to a doctor bc we are disabled and sick, I am getting significantly worse while my roommate is just not getting any better.
V kofi
$0/$200
Edit: dm me for paypal or cashapp ig my links aren't working, I've been trying to figure it out but I'm too brainfoggy ig
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Reader who got hit w a bunny quirk during a mission w izu please smuttt I love yew💋
I love you too bbg💕
This is actually like a great idea and I had the EXACT same one except izuku was the bunny. Yeah this one is way fucking better.
"don't be amused, it's just the news! This just in; we have more details about pro heros deku and y/n's fight with the new and upcoming villain; sphinx. A local has given us amateur footage of y/n getting blasted with sphinx's quirk! They have the ability to turn others and themselves into animals! Y/n has been out of the hero scene for a while, as far as we know with the information her close friend and partner deku has given us, she's going to be out of hero work for a while, they haven't found a cure or much of a loophole with sphinx's quirk. Next in a cat stuck in a tre---"
You shut the TV off with a groan of annoyance. Why hadn't this gone away yet? You've been like this for a week. A long, miserable, insufferable, week. You weren't alone, even if you wanted to be, izuku wouldn't let you. He felt guilty, he felt as if you were like this because of him. During your fight together he pushed you out of the way when a flying car had come your way, you'd known nothing about the villain upon fighting them. Izuku however, knew everything about the villain, he pulled his mask up before the fight even began.
Izuku always got in a certain head space when fighting whether it be a measly robber, or a very experienced and high tech villain. He always made sure he was ready and that morning could take him out of this state. He just wishes he had warned you beforehand of what the villain was capable of.
You look at your reflection in the black TV screen with a frown. You hated the way you looked. Two fluffy bunny ears standing tall before falling to either side of your face. Izuku walks into your room going completely unnoticed, he spoke and sat down your cup of water but his words falling into deaf ears.
"y/n...?"
His voice nothing above a whisper, sitting beside you while patting your head lightly. People always shipped you two due to the way he treated you, don't get me wrong hes nice to everyone regardless of who they are or where they come from. People just liked to do stupid shit in their free time so you never really took it to heart, mostly because izuku always avoided and shut down all questions that surfaced about you two during interviews. Saying he only saw you as a friend.
You turn to him slowly your sad eyes staring up at him. He sighs while giving you a sad look back, putting your foreheads together. He hadn't left your side at all besides when he and to work, but he made sure to come right back to your apartment to assure that you were alright. It's not like you were sick or anything because you weren't. You could walk, talk, shower, cook, and do everything just fine, but he insisted you do nothing he felt far too guilty to even allow you to lift a finger. He once apologized for you telling him you thought about cooking on your own.
He whispers an "I'm sorry" while your heads are together, you simply chuckle and try to smile. Your quirk had been disabled due to being transformed. There's always a loophole in quirks so why hasn't anyone found one for sphinx's quirk? It was weighing on you far too heavily for either of your liking. Izukus heart ached for you to get better, he hated seeing you like this, all sad and unable to do anything for yourself. You can but for some odd reason he thinks you can't do you just let him take care of you.
Izuku pulls away, putting his fingers in your hair and scratching your scalp, the soothing motion making you sigh and lay your head on his shoulder. He hums with a smile that didn't meet his eyes, he grabs the remote from you and puts on a movie, grabbing your cup of water to ensure that you are hydrated.
You both had fallen asleep on each other, his head on top of yours while you laid on his shoulder. You got up and stretched making him get more comfortable and turn his head to lay on a pillow beside him. You looked at him closely, admiring each and every freckle that littered his cheeks and slightly down his neck his chest moving up and down in a smooth rhythm. He looked so peaceful not having to worry and feel guilty for your current state. Your body moved on it's own, one of your hands moving to his chest rubbing up and down his body. He was very toned, you knew this you could practically see it through his new skin tight suit. It hugged his body deliciously.
You couldn't take your eyes off of him, his shirt was slightly raised and scrunched up ending just above his v line, the way it looked like it was sculpted by gods. He looked like a Greek god himself. His body was fucking hot.
Your tail wiggled and twitched against the bed light noise coming from the way it moved. You bit your lip lightly while looking down where his shorts hugged his waist. Your eyes kept trailing down his figure landing on where a tent in his shorts sat. He was completely flaccid yet his thick cock made a very visible print. Fuck this was really turning you on, he was completely unconscious and unaware of how you were fucking him with your eyes. Your hand moved down to his dick print and gently rubbed over it making him take a deep breath and breathe out slowly, you noticed this and continued your movements while staring at his face, a pink hue forming onto his baby-like cheeks.
You watched as he gulped and turned his head in your direction with a breathy and quick sigh, he was getting bothered by how you teased his semi erect cock. His brows slightly furrowed while you stopped your hands movements completely, his cock twitched against your hand making your eyes shoot down to his cock, seeing it fully erect and leaking slightly against his thin shorts. God this was such a sight, it was so fucking hot and lewd, you felt guilty for getting him all hot and bothered but seeing the way his cock twitched and bobbed up and down for your touch was hypnotizing.
Without thinking you hopped onto his lap you weight sitting on top of him making him shift under you, that was almost enough to snap you out of whatever trance he put you in but the way he put his hands on your thighs and rubbed them out you right back into the daze you never got out of.
Your tail wiggled against his thigh as you slowly grind into him, rubbing your clothes pussy against his clothed cock in a slow yet rough manner. a moan accidentally slipped out of your mouth when his cock rubbed against your clit in the best way.
You panted lightly as the grind of your hips started to quicken in pace, you dug your hips down into his to feel his cock press against you. A noise left his throat as he gripped your waist tightly, his grasp bruising your skin while pushing you down more into him. You didn't think about the fact that he might've woken up due to your moans and the way you moved helplessly on top of him. He rubbed his cock up into you to feel that light friction that had him dizzy.
You grabbed onto his shoulders and rode him like you were actually riding his cock. The thought alone of actually getting to ride his cock getting you to that building release. He moaned deeply before his eyes slightly opened and peered up at you, you were too busy in your own haze to acknowledge the way he looked at you, your fucked out face contorting in such a pretty way.
He couldn't believe you were using him while he was asleep, riding his clothed cock for all that it's worth. He bit his lip and flipped the both of you, a scream ripping right out of you as you look up at him with wide scared eyes. He could only look down at you with lust filled ones. His emerald orbs looking at every feature that painted your body, the way your thighs looked more plump because of your shorts. Your boobs spilling out the top of your tank top. You looked so good and the way you looked at him with those scree and glossy eyes went straight to his aching cock. He was so ready to split you in half on his thick cock, he knew you'd have a struggle but it'd be worth it just to be inside of you. He'd wait as long as he'd have to just to feel your pussy squeeze around his cock.
No words were said as he went in to kiss you, lightly pressing his dry but soft lips against yours. A moan left you as your tail wiggled underneath you, you were so horny and you could feel the way it ate you alive from the inside out, you were so close to crying from how much it burned inside of you.
"please.. please fuck me, I need it."
You whispered up to him with a raspy voice, whining as your eyes moved down to his cock, it looked like it was going to burst out of his shorts with the way it stood up proudly.
He smirked at you with lidded eyes while he kissed you neck, you closed your eyes and fell into the soft kisses being planted on your sensitive neck, he moved his kisses up to your bunny ears blowing on them lighting, the soft feeling of it all making your pussy throb and a whimper leave you lips.
He chuckled lowly to himself as he flipped you over into your stomach. He pressed his chest and his hard cock against your ass cheek as he whispered in your ear.
"using me while I sleep? naughty thing. poor bunny, must need it badly, hm?"
You nodded your head aggressively while rubbing your ass against his hard on, earning a low groan from the muscular man above you.his weight on you felt so good and it wasn't even sexual at all.
He slipped your shorts and underwear down in one swift move, he pulled his own down as he teased your dripping hole, slipping his engorged cock head in and out of your lips. Your eyes roll as you lift your ass in the air and wiggle against his cock. he's surprised by this, a chuckle leaving him while he pulls you back by your ears, a squeak leaving you while he slaps your ass.
"you're so fucking needy huh? this sopping wet cunny of yours dripping around my cock, hm?"
You nod again, not being able to speak due to your throat getting rather dry. He hums and slips his cock in halfway before taking it out quickly, this went on for about 5 minutes, the torture was so funny to him yet painful for you. You felt as if you were going to die, the heat forming inside of you burned badly. You needed release, finally being def up with his teasing, the second he tried to do it again you slammed your ass back onto him taking his cock fully, a choked moan leaving his pink lips.
He groaned loudly while lying his head on your shoulder with a smile, he was out of breath from you taking his cock fully. He chuckled against your skin while kissing it, he bit harshly on the skin of your shoulder making you scream while he thrusted vigorously into your soaked pussy, the squelching noises clouding his mind while he moaned into your ear and grabbed onto your bunny ears. The sensitive muscle being pulled painfully hard went straight to your throbbing cunt, the way he slammed his hips into you and hit that spot repeatedly was just enough to make you cum, but he knew you were going to by the way you started squeezing his cock for all he was worth, milking him and slicking his cock up with your fluid.
“A-Agh fuck don’t stop- don’t fuckin stop.”
You command him while throwing your ass back, you were feeling too good you felt as if you weren't even in control, the way your body moved lewdly against him was inhumane and unlike you. You'd never felt the need to be near someone like this, like you yearned for his very touch, for him to cum inside of you. Oh. God that sounded so good, the thought of his warm thick cum spilling and spreading inside of you made you squeeze around his cock even more.
Just when you felt as if you were going to cum you felt the need leave. He had pulled out of your cunt with a groan, his cock twitched from the cold ajr hitting the leaky tip. He looked down at your pussy squeezing around nothing, god you were so fucking needy and that made him go feral. He could practically smell the delicious scent you released. Your tail twitched fastly, catching his attention. He had asked you before questions about your body and if anything felt different, he hadn't asked about your tails however, he was curious if it was sensitive. Out of pure curiosity he pushed his thick cock back inside of you, and yanked at your tails, his tight grip on your ears never leaving.
He used them to bring you back more into him. You let out a high pitched moan as your arms gave out, your body felt like it was on fire, throwing your ass back against him while your thighs burned from the work.
“fu— m'cum— cumming!!“
You couldn't control it, it just ripped out of you. The feeling was far too strong to hold back or even pretend not to acknowledge you groaned while sobbing, tears falling from your face due to the extra stimulation. He cooed in your ear, coaxing you through your orgasm while never letting you in the way he fiddled with your tail, his other hand leaving your floppy ears to go to your clit, rubbing it slowly while speeding up his hips.
"nngh~ izu— Izu-"
You couldn't speak from the immense pleasure, it began to hurt due to overstimulation. You sobbed and hiccupped against the pillows as he drilled his cock into you, he groaned and grunted behind you moans leaving his lips as well.
"shit...- fuck— god dammit, u/n I'm gonna cu- cum again.. shit take it, fucking take it all.."
Again?! He'd already came?? Maybe that's why you thought about his warm cum spreading and claiming every spot inside of you. Because he already did.
You couldn't move or even speak, the way he bucked his hips into yours, stuttering and rhythm becoming uneven. He threw his head back with a moan as he came again, tears welling at the corner of his eyes. He felt so good, your fluttering walks squeezing and convulsing around his soft turning cock.
He collapsed beside you without a word. His eyes closed as he tried to steady his breaths, he hasn't felt this good in so long, it's been a while since he'd last been with anyone. He took pride in his job, he'd wanted to be a hero since he was a kid, however it did take him away from a lot of things, including interacting with people and making new friends.
He needed this and he's glad you gave It to him. He turned to check on you to see you had already passed out, he rubbed your back lightly making you shiver underneath his touch. He got up to assure you were alright, making sure you water was refilled and that you could be clean, he grabbed a warm damp towel to clean you but before he did he got a good look at the two loads that were fucked into you, slowly oozing from your still convulsing lips. Fuck this was a sight to see, he was afraid he'd never get to see it again. He hates what he did but, he had to save this moment forever! A picture to remember this morning by! After all, you won't be a bunny forever.
AN: this was very fun to write actually, I've recently been in a chokehold w top!izuku there's something ab him being mean or js taking care of me that gets to me.
Dividers by @anitalenia
#cvnts-post#mha#mha x reader#deku x reader#izuku x reader#boku no hero academia#izuku is so girlie pop#cvnts-reqs#deku smut#izuku midoriya smut#izuku smut#izuku midoriya x reader#izuku midoriya#mha izuku#midoriya x reader#midoriya izuku x reader#deku x reader smut#deku
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