Activity #1: Identifying Ableism in Disney’s Films Purpose of the Activity

Students learn to recognize how the media portrays messages about characters with disabilities. Students are to analyze the messages and determine if it helps educate or hurts the images of the people with disabilities. They are to study how the characters adapt or the environment adapts to fit the lifestyle. Goal is for student to realize that disability is omnipresent and so are abilities.

 PowerPoint (use Ableism PPT)

 Laptop and/or access to internet (if none, then teacher can look up photos and print each)
Instructions for the Activity:

1. 
   Have students split in groups where they can focus better
   
2. 
   Ask students to think of as many characters with disabilities or “disadvantages” in Disney films (if they cannot think of enough, they can include Pixar, Dreamwork, and other large animated film company)
   

• 
  Have them discuss if the disability is conditional and systematic, did the disability hinder them or serve a special role.
  

Alice in Wonderland: Dormouse- narcolepsy, Mad Hatter- mercury poisoning

Beauty & the Beast- Beast: man-beast, Chip- Damaged tea cup

Chicken Little - speech impediment, Glasses

Captain James Hook – Amputee, patched eye

Dumbo—Large ears

Finding Nemo: Nemo- Damaged fin, Dory- Memory problems, Little seahorse- H20 intolerant

Happy Feet—Couldn’t sing like others, but found he was a wonderful dancer

Mulan—Was a girl (girls weren’t supposed to be in martial arts), Fa Shu – the disabled father

The Little Mermaid- Ariel- couldn’t sing

Snow White - All 7 Dwarfs are dwarfs, Sleepy-narcolepsy