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Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children's Media

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Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children's Media Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/ Thesis Projects Mahurin Honors College 2021 Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid: Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children's Media Adrianna Waters Western Kentucky University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses Part of the Creative Writing Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, and the Playwriting Commons Recommended Citation Waters, Adrianna, "Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid: Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children's Media" (2021). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 898. https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/898 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EMMIE AND THE ENCHANTED ORCHID: PORTRAYING POSITIVE DISABILITY REPRESENTATION IN CHILDREN’S MEDIA A Capstone Experience/Thesis Project Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Arts with Mahurin Honors College Graduate Distinction at Western Kentucky University By Adrianna Waters May 2021 ***** CE/T Committee: Prof. Jessica Folk, Chair Prof. Carol Jordan Dr. Ted Hovet Copyright by Adrianna Waters 2021 ABSTRACT Disability representation in media and storytelling is often negative or inaccurate, with disability narratives equating disability to evil or lesser than abled bodies. The harmful representation is especially prevalent and dangerous in children’s media as the depiction of characters with disabilities may be children’s first introduction to disability, and thus the portrayal is likely to stay with them, especially as stories for adults continue to perpetuate the inaccurate representation of disabilities. “Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid”: Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children’s Media seeks to examine the harmful portrayal of disabilities in children’s media while also recognizing how disability can be represented positively and accurately. In addition to the research, the project provides an example of a children’s story that positively represents disability with an original stage play titled Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid. The purpose of the play is not to tell the disabled experience but to provide a whimsical and entertaining story that shows the intended audience—primarily children—a positive example of disability representation while also teaching them about disability. ii I dedicate this thesis to my family, who has fostered my love of storytelling and supported me my entire life. Most importantly, I dedicate this thesis to my mother, Doris Waters. From reading to me at night when I was little to encouraging me to let my inner child remain, she has been a constant source of inspiration to me. Since her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2006, I have become more aware of disability and its representation in the media. I never would have fostered my love of children’s stories and my advocacy for disability representation if it weren’t for her. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my CE/T Committee for their help and insights throughout this project, especially my first reader, Prof. Jessica Folk, who provided important insights and feedback to strengthen my play. I would like to thank the WKU English Department for fostering my love of stories and giving me a place to grow these past four years. I would like to thank Dr. Trini Stickle; I took her English Langauge class my freshman year, and the class made me realize I could critically examine stories I love and find a way to academically discuss children’s media when I researched language use in children’s animated films, specifically Aladdin. I thank the Mahurin Honors College for giving me the opportunity to explore a topic that was both important and new to me. Finally, I thank my family for supporting me on this long journey, answering all my questions, and listening to me ramble on particularly stressful days. iv VITA EDUCATION Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY May 2021 B.A. in English: Creative Writing Concentration, Professional Writing/Psychology Minors – Mahurin Honors College Graduate Honors CE/T: “Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid”: Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children’s Media Boone County High School, Florence, KY May 2017 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE American Institute for Foreign Study Aug. 2020- Alumni Ambassador Present The Writing Center, WKU Jan. 2019- Tutor Present Global Learning and International Affairs, WKU Jan. 2019- Ambassador Present Dept. of Theatre & Dance, WKU Aug. 2020- Communications Intern Dec. 2020 English Dept., WKU Aug. 2018- ENG 299 Teaching Assistant Dec. 2018 AWARDS & HONORS Summa Cum Laude, WKU, May 2021 “Best of” Conference Winner, 2nd place: “Language Use in Children’s Animated Films and Aladdin.” 2018. Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture. “Best of” Conference Winner, 3rd place: “Spinning Stereotypes: Shahrazad’s Storytelling Skills in ‘Sinbad the Sailor.’ 2019. Undergraduate Conference on Literature, Language, and Culture Finalist in Marry Ellen and Jim Wayne Miller Celebration of Writing Fiction Contest. 2019. v PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Sigma Tau Delta PUBLICATIONS “Language Use in Children’s Animated films and Aladdin.” 2019. The Ashen Egg “Spinning Stereotypes: Shahrazad’s Storytelling Skills in ‘Sinbad the Sailor.’” 2020. The Ashen Egg. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE Richmond, the American International University June 2019- American Institute for Foreign Study July 2019 vi CONTENTS Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Vita ...................................................................................................................................... v Children’s Storytelling and Disability Representation Research ........................................ 1 Works CiteD ...................................................................................................................... 50 Appendix: Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid .................................................................. 54 vii CHILDREN’S STORYTELLING AND DISABILITY REPRESENTATION RESEARCH “Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid”: Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children’s Media aims to positively represent disability in a children’s play. The project includes in-depth research on disability representation and children’s media and an original full-length children’s play that aims to include an example of positive disability representation (see Appendix). The play is about 15-year-old Emmie, the princess of the Kingdom of Paxton. Emmie has congenital amputation on her left leg, which means she was born with no left leg. After a magical object is stolen from the royal family, Emmie is tasked with retrieving the item and restoring balance to her kingdom. The purpose of the play is not to tell the disabled experience but to provide a whimsical and entertaining story that shows the audience—primarily children—a positive example of disability representation while also teaching them about disability. I acknowledge that as an ableD-bodied writer, I will never understand the disabled experience, and it is important that I do not try to take away from the perspectives of individuals with disabilities. I conducted research on disability and children’s media, including: literature about disability representation in all media with a focus on children’s media, examples of positive and negative disability representation in children’s media, research about congenital disability, research about children with disabilities, etc. That being said, while research is imperative for positive and accurate disability representation, it will never equate to the disability experience, and I acknowledge this limitation. Additionally, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the play was unable to be presented as an in-person staged reading or performance. While efforts were made to 1 hold a virtual staged reading, this idea was scrapped when I was unable to find a disabled actress to read for Emmie. The following paper will detail the process of researching, writing, and presenting the contents of Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid: Portraying Positive Disability Representation in Children’s Media, including: a discussion on successful storytelling elements in children’s media, an examination of disability representation in all media, an examination of disability representation in children’s media, research about congenital disability and the disability experience, a discussion of my writing process, and a discussion on presentations and the efforts to schedule a staged reading. Storytelling Elements in Children’s Media Positive disability representation is one goal of Emmie and the Enchanted Orchid, but an effective story for children is equally as important. Children will not enjoy the play if the story is not entertaining; thus, they will not learn about disability if they are too bored to pay attention to the story. Writing for children is a difficult and complex task, with the main risk being a story that talks down
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