In the early 2000s portrayals of disabled characters became more accurate through political awareness. Door to Door (2002) addresses ableism with a true story.
Persistent, determined, and independent. These three adjectives have been used to describe many people in the disability community. Society makes and assumes life is an uphill battle, no matter the condition.
Independence is essential for maturing and freedom. In my opinion, there is more pressure on disabled people to be less reliant on others, even if it is healthy to receive support from friends and family.
Photo by Sophie Dale from Unsplash
Portraying the Fight Against Ableism
Door to Door (2002) illustrates the stress and strained relationships that can occur because a person is pushing away people because they don’t want to be treated like a child or a charity case because of a disability. In reality, help can be offered just because people care for friends.
In the film, Shelly, an assistant to Bill Porter (a salesman with cerebral palsy), calls him emotionally crippled because of how stubborn he is.
There is a stereotype in movies for abled-bodied characters needing to teach disabled characters to see past their limitations and their condition. This trope is paired with a self-pitying protagonist, which Bill Porter is not.
Impact of Stereotypes
That’s what makes this scene more potent because it’s reality. There are smaller moments, such as when it’s raining, and Bill is walking to the bus stop when a friend runs into him and offers to drive him there.
When Bill says no, the man pushes, saying, “Don’t be stupid. Get in” This angers Bill. I would react the same if a series like this had happened to me.
Even though anyone would easily be offered the same kindness by a friend in these circumstances, disability or not. It is an example of internalized ableism.
Internal ableism once again hinders Bill when he is accidentally hit by a bus and breaks a leg.
He refuses to sue the bus company to pay medical bills after insurance doesn’t cover them, claiming his cerebral palsy as a pre-existing condition.
In this case, Bill does not want to be treated differently by opposing the insurance company’s ruling. He is adamant that it was his fault for crossing the middle of the block. The self-imposed pressure comes from a view that a disability is a personal problem to overcome. Getting hit by a bus has no connection to having cerebral palsy.
For many decades, however, pre existing conditions systemically made it harder for disabled people to get good healthcare.
Door to Door portrays life with a disability through multiple decades. Starting in the 1960s, Bill fights receiving disability and announces he has a job and does not need assistance. Cerebral palsy typically does not affect mental capacity.
Being on disability today has many regulations that sustain economic inequality, and those who need the money have a maximum amount of income they can earn before they become ineligible.