Speak My Language

Inspiration objectification, known informally as ‘inspiration porn,’ portrays people with disabilities as inspirational on the basis of their disability.

Objectification happens when a person is treated like an object, without regard to their personality or dignity. It may be well-intentioned, but depicting people with disabilities as ‘objects of inspiration’ is exploitative and harmful.

Australian disability advocate and comedian Stella Young coined the term at TEDxSydney in 2014.

We are all cultural beings. Here at Speak My Language, we are interested in sharing stories about disability from people who are culturally and linguistically diverse. 

These perspectives often lead us to an intersectional understanding of disability. They show us how disability justice and racial justice can be interwoven. They celebrate the unique differences inherent in human bodies and human cultures. These perspectives reveal what diversity looks like for the disability community within our multicultural communities.