Rethinking "Inspiration"
Rethinking “Inspiration” January 25, 2026 Jessica Bentley Dr. Sowers Rethinking "Inspiration" Growing up, I did not have a ton of exposure to people with disabilities, except for those I saw in movies or on social media. My teachers would talk about disabilities in the classroom, but I never really had any personal experiences with individuals with disabilities. Because of this, I never really thought that much about how society views disabilities or how others might be affected or influenced by people with disabilities. Then I learned about the concept of “inspiration porn.” The term was coined by disability activist Stella Young and refers to the social or media content that portrays people with disabilities as inspiration only because they have a disability. That means things like everyday tasks like going to school, participating in a sport, or simply just living life are inspirational to others with or without a disability. These everyday tasks are tho...