Biographical Sketch
Ellen Hotchkiss is a 2nd-year doctoral student in the Curriculum studies program at Georgia Southern University. She has an Educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Augusta State University, and Masters and Bachelors degrees from Georgia Southern University in Exceptional Child education and Learning Disabilities. She has taught in public schools for over 19 years working with students with high incidence disabilities (learning disabilities, other health impairments, Autism, etc). She has an interest in disability studies and how we frame questions of not only “what knowledge is of worth” but also “who society feels is of worth to learn.” Areas of research interests include the intersection of technology and disability and of disability studies.
Type of Presentation
Individual presentation
Brief Description of Presentation
Disability has been an area often overlooked in popular cultural media especially as a main character and a main focus of television show. The few television shows that have made it to the small screen have the advantage start to build connections with audience and society. This allows a deeper understanding of stereotypes and boundary transgressions when it comes to the diverse population of people with disabilities. Exploring these relationships through the new ABC “Speechless” gives several new perspectives to explore relating to disability, identity and family.
Abstract of Proposal
Disability has been an area often overlooked in popular cultural media especially as a main focus of a television show. The few television shows that have made it to mainstream media have the advantage of starting to build connections with audience and society. This allows a deeper understanding of stereotypes and boundary transgressions when it comes to the diverse population of people with disabilities. Exploring these relationships through the new ABC “Speechless” gives several new perspectives to explore relating to disability, identity and family. Disability studies looks from both an outsider and insider perspective on how we view what is “normal” or “fully human.” Using popular media to expand the conversation, and give insight to what it is like to “be” in relationship with a person with disabilities or to “be” that person, we have the ability to enter into more complicated conversation about decency, respect, advocacy and allowing the “Speechless” to have a voice.
Location
Coastal Georgia Center
Start Date
2-25-2017 2:35 PM
End Date
2-25-2017 4:05 PM
Recommended Citation
Hotchkiss, Ellen M., "Giving Voice to the “Speechless”: Depictions of disability in television and Identity politics of Disability Studies" (2017). International Critical Media Literacy Conference. 16.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/criticalmedialiteracy/2017/2017/16
Paper
Giving Voice to the “Speechless”: Depictions of disability in television and Identity politics of Disability Studies
Coastal Georgia Center
Disability has been an area often overlooked in popular cultural media especially as a main focus of a television show. The few television shows that have made it to mainstream media have the advantage of starting to build connections with audience and society. This allows a deeper understanding of stereotypes and boundary transgressions when it comes to the diverse population of people with disabilities. Exploring these relationships through the new ABC “Speechless” gives several new perspectives to explore relating to disability, identity and family. Disability studies looks from both an outsider and insider perspective on how we view what is “normal” or “fully human.” Using popular media to expand the conversation, and give insight to what it is like to “be” in relationship with a person with disabilities or to “be” that person, we have the ability to enter into more complicated conversation about decency, respect, advocacy and allowing the “Speechless” to have a voice.
