Exceptionalism Fallacy

A SuperCrip is someone who is portrayed in media as having overcome their disability, despite the fact that nothing about their body has changed. The SuperCrip trope transpires in one of two ways. In the first scenario, the SuperCrip becomes noteworthy due to ‘superhuman’ feats. In the case of ‘Good Odds’, a Paralympian overcame the 1 in 997,500 odds of winning 8 Paralympic gold medals.

On the flip side, the SuperCrip can also be depicted as “special” because they live regular lives ‘in spite of their disability’. This is best illustrated in ‘We’re the Superhumans’, when disabled people who are partaking in ordinary activities such as eating, brushing their teeth or filling a tank of gas, are labeled ‘Superhumans’ and portrayed as extraordinary.

*Our definition of SuperCrip was informed by Beth Haller’s definition in Disability & Media Matters.