Last week, I was very excited to hear that there was about to be a new series of Queer Eye on Netflix. In case you're unfamiliar with the Fab 5 - Bobby, Jonathan, Karamo, Tan and Antoni - Queer Eye is more than a makeover show. It's 5 gay guys taking over a person's life and making over the whole lot, with an emphasis on living your personal truth, practicing good self-care, and supporting one another. Given that most of the episodes are filmed in the southern states of the US, there's also some interesting social commentary as different attitudes towards and within different societal groups and sub-cultures are explored and discussed.
Watching the first 3 seasons, I was disappointed that they hadn't looked at disability. The trailer for Season 4 showed that this was all about to change with the making-over of a wheelchair user, but caused a 'Twitterstorm' with the phrase “Disabled, but not really”.
This denial of disability seemed to be the opposite of living your personal truth, and whilst I could see why people were upset, I couldn't see how or why any one of the Fab 5 would've said this - that's not how they do things.
The social model of disability says that a disabled person is someone who experiences disadvantage from the interaction between their individual characteristics and the environment around them. It's being a square peg in a round-hole world. The most obvious example to me as a wheelchair user is all those annoying coffee-shops/restaurants/music venues/etc. with steps and no ramps.
It's a powerful concept, as it can be used as a starting point to removing barriers to full inclusion and generally making sure people can live their lives their way.
Under social model thinking, to say that someone is “not really” disabled is to deny that these barriers exist or are important. Not cool.
A few weeks back, a friend of mine was gutted when she realised the venue for her wedding reception had no ramp, and that the deposit was non-refundable. My portable ramp was too small, and so we celebrated separately as I couldn't be there.
The only wheelchair accessible taxis in my area require me to travel backwards, and so I arrive at my destination an interesting shade of green. That's assuming that they'll take me; my local authority has not yet set up an S 167 list. This means that if a taxi refuses to pick up a disabled person, they cannot be fined.
Many GP surgeries currently lack hoists and lack experience in making other arrangements, meaning that access to smear tests and other medical examinations is limited.
These are examples of how solvable problems - barriers - get in our way. I'm very active and good at problem solving, but these barriers still exist: I will continue consider myself a disabled person until every single one of these barriers is smashed to history.
So why did the Fab 5 say this? On watching the episode, it turns out they didn't. They were making over Wesley, who used a wheelchair after being shot 7 years ago. 'Disabled But Not Really' is the name of the not-for-profit organisation founded by Wesley focusing on fitness, wellness, and mental health. A big part of that seems to be focused on what people can do by finding alternative ways to achieve those goals and so removing the power of a barrier over that person, hence “disabled, but not really”.
Whatever your view on that as a name of an organisation, it does answer the question: “What were they thinking?” I don't expect many non-disabled people to be aware of the nuances of a sociological theory from the 1970's. Instead, they spoke to the person in front of them - Wesley - and followed his lead, which is usually a safe bet in any situation and a good way to build understanding.
Interestingly, in the way they approached their respective fields, I saw a lot of social model thinking. Bobby put in front-loading washing machines and an induction hob, as the controls on his previous appliances were unreachable to Wesley. Tan showed how a jacket can be shortened to improve the fit when seated and keep it away from wheels, armrests and so on. Why didn't I think of that?!
The others also spoke to him appropriately - is anyone else fed up of being cooed over? I can't help being adorable but don't treat me like a child! - and did a great job of their roles in the makeover. Johnathon smartened up the hair and beard to make him look more CEO-like. Anthony made something yummy: anyone know where we can find the recipe? And Karamo set up a meeting between Wesley and the stranger who shot him, where both parties reached an understanding and put the past behind them.
So stop the Twitterstorm! They're innocent! Stay awesome Fab 5!