Embodiment and Disability

Embodiment is the tangible representation of a idea or concept such as disability. It is taking the socio-cultural concept of disability and giving it tangible form such as emotions, thoughts, and abilities. It is how society’s view of disability and people’s experiences and perspective shape who they are. For example, how stigma shapes a person’s ability to interact with the world socially or how depression shapes perceptions of self and the world. It is using disability to express oneself or to communicate something. For example, an artist using his mouth to paint because he is an amputee. It is understanding the concept of disability from the perspective of lived experience as in the disabled person’s emotions, ability, and thoughts. It is changing your views and how you interact based on their lived experience. For example, asking questions and clarifying instead of forcing a person with a speech impairment to repeat themselves.

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