ABSTRACT
The pitiable misrepresentation of disability was particularly prominent in early charity advertisements. A hallmark of the aesthetic of these advertisements was a stark, usually black and white image of someone who was disabled, with a focus on her or his impairment, the key purpose being to evoke fear and sympathy in the viewer. Unfortunately, until the late 20th century, the representation of disability in advertising was generally restricted to such fundraising campaigns, or at best found in medical and rehabilitation product catalogs, disability magazines, and disability organization posters and brochures. Representations of disability were seldom included in so-called mainstream advertisements. This chapter focuses on three Dove advertisements that feature women who have visual impairments. Aesthetic blindness is implicit in the advertisement for hair color radiance shampoo/conditioner, which focuses on one woman, like the deodorant advertisement, but represents slices, rather than a single slice of life.
