ABSTRACT
In the post-World War II era, photographic representation of individuals with disabilities shifted markedly from portrayals that reinforced hierarchical preconceptions and stereotypes to those that questioned the dominance of the representative “normal.” Accompanying this change was a departure from representing disabled people within a visual construct of medical anomaly to presenting them as provocateurs through which to question the prevailing structure. In concert with increased photographic awareness of other prejudicial constructs in American society, these images represent a broader shift in perception that increasingly took into account individual experience and usurped a predetermined theatrical narrative. As disabilities studies scholar Rosemarie Garland-Thomson has demonstrated, photographic content has significant impact on our perception of disabled people.1 This study, which is steeped in art historical methodology, will focus on how formal characteristics-the visual language used in presentation-impact the reading of content. Specifically, it will identify three distinct visual constructs that embody isolation, integration, and ultimately an expansive view of the disabled “other,” which coincides with an increased awareness of difference in what has become known as the Civil Rights Era.
