{"id":6856,"date":"2025-02-27T16:29:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T19:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/?p=6856"},"modified":"2025-02-27T16:31:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T19:31:03","slug":"cripface","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/cripface\/","title":{"rendered":"Cripface: how incorrect representation harms the inclusion of people with disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Oh, movies with stories of people with disabilities! Often inspiring, some winners of big awards, like the Oscars\u2026 but often, even with good intentions, they end up being ableist and practicing <strong>cripface<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to understand more about the relationship between ableism, cripface and representativeness? In this article, we will answer the most frequently asked questions about the topic. Read to the end!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-130bf303beea7ef1c35d4747deb20a64\">What is cripface?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term designates the practice of people without disabilities playing characters with disabilities, who occupy places that could very well, and in fact should, be filled by PWDs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, if you are now wondering if cripface is ableism, the answer is: yes! Cripface is an ableist practice used, normally, in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udd38Movies;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd38Series;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd38Plays;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd38Advertisements;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Among other audiovisual or printed materials that portray PWDs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9d2f6961ea9f06e46157cf1c65753bed\">What is the origin and meaning of the term?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cripface <strong>is a combination of the words \u201ccrippled\u201d (\u201cdefici\u00eancia\u201d), and \u201cface\u201d (\u201crosto\u201d).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its origin is similar to that of the term \u201cblackface\u2019\u201d which describes the practice of a white person characterizing themselves as a black character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a2fdc338b2e8863bbbb8e7dca21923e2\">Criticisms and problems of Cripface<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, it is important to emphasize: <strong>productions that give visibility to people with disabilities are always welcome! <\/strong>However, visibility is not enough \u2014 it is necessary to guarantee protagonism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reality is that a person without a disability, when playing characters with disabilities, will certainly bring stigmatized interpretations with stereotypes \u2014 as we have already seen in several works. Some of the most common examples are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udd38 Characters with autism with exaggeratedly accentuated stereotypies \u2014 or hyper-intelligent and brilliant;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd38Characters with intellectual disabilities who are inexpressive or without personality and their own will;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd38Characters who use assistive devices inappropriately (for example, using wheelchairs intended for outdoor use in the bathroom, or hospital gurneys instead of hospital beds);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Among many others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This type of practice ends up having the opposite effect to the desired one: <strong>by incorrectly appropriating narratives, stories and culture of these people, the work ridicules and disrespects PWDs, generating even more discrimination.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this way, people with disabilities do not feel fully <strong>represented and continue to be made invisible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00bb See also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/movies-deaf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">7 movies about Deaf culture and people that you need to watch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-697fbad1e81d2f4c6af3aebd8faa8849\">How to avoid cripface: 5 solutions and good practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Invite actors and actresses with disabilities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the most immediate tip is: for an authentic representation,<strong> let artists with disabilities represent characters with disabilities! <\/strong>Nothing better than a person within their place of speech acting legitimately about their universe. <strong>It is an opportunity to give voice to their experiences, cultures and experiences, which can bring more authenticity and representativeness to the stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Disability should not be seen as an obstacle to an artistic career \u2014 what prevents it are the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessibility-barriers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> accessibility barriers<\/a> that come from the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Understand that disability does not define the artist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the tip above, a fundamental point is: <strong>do not hire artists with disabilities only to play PWDs<\/strong> \u2014 after all, disability is part of the person, but not their complete identity. As the very term \u201cpeople with disabilities\u201d brings, the person comes before their disability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Value the real importance of portraying PWDs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/diversity-and-inclusion-what-is-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">all diversity needs to be represented.<\/a> <\/strong>But the time has passed when advertising pieces with a white person, a black person, one with a disability, among other cutouts, were enough to consider a brand as \u201cdiverse\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if your intention is to portray a person with a disability in your piece, l<strong>et it be with purpose: having a relevant role in the story and contributing to the narrative.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Have PWDs behind the scenes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We talked a lot about actors and actresses with disabilities, but the backstage also matters! Therefore, consider hiring PWDs to participate in <strong>all stages of the material, <\/strong>including diversity and inclusion consultants. After all, the more diverse a team is, the more creative and with different perspectives it can be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. To do this, offer accessibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p> To include, it<strong> is necessary to offer accessibility <\/strong>in the studios or recording locations. The installation of access ramps and hiring of sign language interpreters are some examples of resources that can, and should, be used for complete inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-72ce6d5f28833720913c38d1080417a8\">An invitation to anti-ableism: in movies, series and life!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Series and movies are reflections of our society, therefore, <strong>the anti-ableist movement and attitude must start with us.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being anti-ableist is <strong>offering the other the possibility to express themselves, <\/strong>and technology can be a great ally in this fight \u2014 especially with regard to communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What do you think about starting to break the communication barrier with deaf people, who use the  Sign Language, by learning their language?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Hand Talk App<\/strong> is a pocket dictionary of ASL (American Sign Language), which promotes connection and communication between hearing and deaf people, combining virtual intelligence with a playful and fun experience. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Download it\">Download it<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-orange-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d54affe3dd3ac7a71c8511376ef93b3a\"><strong><em>This article was translated by artificial intelligence and reviewed by humans.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Incorrect representation can harm the inclusion of people with disabilities. Read this article and learn more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":6861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sem-categoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6856"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6867,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6856\/revisions\/6867"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}