No Pity and My Body Politic: A Disability Studies Comparison
This paper compares two landmark disability studies texts: Joseph P. Shapiro's No Pity and Simi Linton's My Body Politic. Through a question-and-answer format, the paper examines the medical model of disability versus the PDSP model, the historical evolution of attitudes toward disabled people in the United States, the political dimensions of disability advocacy, comparisons between disability rights and racial civil rights movements, and key concepts such as normalization, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the distinctions between empathy, sympathy, and condescension. Together, both texts argue that disabled people deserve full social participation and equal treatment.
- Introduction: Overview of both books and paper scope
- Shapiro: Medical Model vs. PDSP Definition of Disability: Contrasting medical and PDSP disability definitions
- Shapiro: Historical Attitudes, Institutionalization, and Policy Change: U.S. history of disability treatment and policy
- Shapiro: Political Motivations and Normalization: Bush administration, personal motivation, and normalization concept
- Linton: Culture, Civil Rights, and the Rehabilitation Act: Cultural influence, Section 504, and racial civil rights parallels
- Linton: Empathy, Sympathy, and Condescension: Distinctions among empathy, sympathy, and condescension
- Conclusion: Shared message of inclusion and equal treatment
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What makes this paper effective
- Directly engages with primary textual evidence by quoting both Shapiro and Linton, grounding each analytical point in the source material.
- Draws meaningful cross-text comparisons, particularly in connecting the disability rights movement to the racial civil rights movement across both books.
- Maintains a clear organizational structure by addressing each question in sequence, making the argument easy to follow despite covering two separate texts.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative textual analysis by reading two nonfiction works side by side and identifying thematic parallels — most notably the analogy between institutionalization and slavery, and the parallel between racial and disability civil rights movements. This technique shows how distinct authors and genres (journalism and memoir) can converge on shared arguments about social justice and inclusion.
Structure breakdown
The paper is divided into three parts: an introduction, a Shapiro section addressing five analytical questions (disability definitions, historical attitudes, political motivation, civil rights analogy, and normalization), and a Linton section addressing four questions (cultural influence, Section 504 enforcement, racial versus disability civil rights, and the empathy/sympathy/condescension distinction). A brief conclusion synthesizes the shared message of both authors.
Introduction
This paper addresses five questions regarding No Pity by Joseph P. Shapiro and four questions about My Body Politic by Simi Linton. Quotations drawn directly from each book are used to support the answers provided throughout.
Shapiro: Medical Model vs. PDSP Definition of Disability
The first question asks for a differentiation between the medical model of disability and the model presented by the PDSP. As noted on page five of the Shapiro text, there are hundreds of disabilities that manifest in one or more ways depending on the particular disorder in question. Shapiro addresses this directly, writing that "some are congenital; most come later in life. Some are progressive, like muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, and some forms of vision and hearing loss." He goes on to discuss other disorders such as seizure disorders and cancer.
The medical model of disability tends to define disability broadly across a wide spectrum of conditions. The PDSP definition, by contrast, focused more narrowly on people with obvious physical limitations — those requiring a wheelchair or another assistive device. This focus was incorporated into their outreach method, as the group "hired disabled counselors who would scope out available and accessible departments for people in wheelchairs." The PDSP clearly concentrated on obstacles that impeded independent living and offered solutions to address them. Shapiro's discussion of the PDSP does not appear to address less obvious disabilities as encompassed by the standard medical definition.
Shapiro: Historical Attitudes, Institutionalization, and Policy Change
The second question concerns the changing attitudes toward people with disabilities over the years — from the founding of the country to the present — and how the care and agencies used to address the plight of disabled people have evolved over time. The Shapiro text offers substantial material on this subject. One subheading goes into considerable detail about the suffering of disabled people throughout much of American history. A particularly striking passage notes that "early colonies put a premium on physical stamina." It is also noted that "people with physical or mental disabilities who were potentially dependent could be deported, forced to return to England."
Progress accelerated when it was discovered that "disabled people could be integrated into society rather than sent away to institutions." This shift set off a chain reaction that eventually led to modern frameworks and policies such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Conclusion
Both Shapiro and Linton bristle at the mistreatment, past and present, of disabled people. They want to be able to live normal lives just like able-bodied people, and they want the distinction of their lives being recognized as worth just as much as others'. They do not want their disability to dominate or take over the interactions and behaviors of others when it is not applicable to the situation at hand. Put simply, if someone arrives in a wheelchair, a simple "hi" is far more respectful than gratuitously and unnecessarily drawing attention to the chair.
References
Linton, S. (2007). My body politic: A memoir. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Shapiro, J. P. (1993). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. New York: Times Books.
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