Before you read: Please note that I am not a disabled person, and I do not speak for the disabled community. If you have any further questions regarding portraying disabilities respectfully, I suggest you participate in your own research from articles or blogs written by the disabled community. Additionally, this is not an attack on anyone who may have done anything mentioned in the PSA below. This PSA is meant to spread awareness about portraying disabilities in TFCRP. However, it may apply to other scenarios. Please keep all discussions relating to this topic in this project's comments. As you've seen in the title, this PSA is about how disabilities are portrayed in TFCRP. I've noticed this has been an ongoing issue for a long time, and I've wanted to say my cents about this situation. But first, let's define ableism: Ableism is the discrimination and prejudice against people with physical or mental disabilities. Generally, ableist people assume that disabled people are "inferior" to them because of their disabilities. However, ableism has a broad range of beliefs, behaviours, and attitudes, making it somewhat difficult to recognize ableism in media. Even if a person isn't blatantly insulting the disabled community, should you endorse any ableist beliefs, that is a form of ableism. When you have a disabled character in any form of writing, you are responsible for researching and accurately portraying their disability, both in-roleplay and out-of-roleplay. Although these cats are fictional, fiction still affects reality and influences the culture of our society. Fiction also affects how the disabled community is treated. As such, respectfully portraying disabilities is important. With that being said, let's look at examples of recurring stereotypes in TFCRP: Using disabilities for aesthetic reasons: Physical disabilities should not be used to make your cat "look cute" or demonize them. These cats are their own character with aspiring goals and beliefs, much like any other cat. The only difference is that they have a disability. If you're planning to have a disabled cat, you need to acknowledge that their disabilities affect their everyday life and are a part of them. However, most people tend to ignore this fact and only use their cat's disability for appearances. Naming your cat after their disability: By giving them a name that pokes fun at their disability, you are essentially reducing them to nothing more than their disability. Furthermore, poking fun at a cat's disability is a form of ableism and should not be practised. (Footnote: Some members of the disabled community have differing opinions about jokes about their disability. Always ask for that person's boundaries before making a comment. In the case of TFCRP, a "funny" name for your disabled cat is not funny). Pitying disabled cats: You should not assume that disabled cats live an "unhappy life." Your pity is uncalled for and unwanted. Disabled cats are capable of adapting to different environments, and they often live fulfilling lives. Portraying disabled cats as "heroes": There is nothing heroic about living your life. The same logic applies to disabled cats. When you praise a disabled cat for "accomplishing" something they do every day, you are assuming that disabled cats are "incapable." Viewing disabilities as "evil"/shaming the cat or their disabilities: Do not assume that disabilities are a "punishment" or a "curse." Not only does this enforce the harmful stereotypes that disabilities are bad, but this also influences the disabled community and creates the idea that their disabilities make them "flawed." Cats with mental disabilities are especially subject to this stereotype. Using unreliable sources for research: You should not be using unreliable sources for your research on disabilities. This will only lead to misinformation and inaccuracies for roleplaying disabled cats. (A quick tip for getting reliable sources: if the site's domain ends in .org, .edu, or .gov, it's typically trustworthy. You should also check the author of the article. Do they have an education on this topic or are they some random person spitting out uncredited facts? The year of the article is also important. The older the article, the more outdated the information is. Use articles that are 5 years or younger.)
These examples are far from exhaustive and there are plenty more harmful stereotypes that you should avoid. However, I don't believe that most people in TFCRP have any malicious intent towards the disabled community. Most of these problems stem from ignorance or a lack of care. With that being said, do not take this PSA to say that you shouldn't roleplay disabled characters. By roleplaying a disabled character, you have an opportunity to learn and understand those who have a disability. But when you fall prey to harmful stereotypes, you need to take responsibility and acknowledge the wrongdoings of your actions. To avoid stereotypes, I strongly suggest reaching out to your own research and learning more about those who live with disabilities, along with harmful stereotypes to avoid. Additionally, reaching out to the disabled community always helps with staying respectful to a cat's disability. I hope this PSA has taught you about the general stereotypes to avoid, and have a good day/night wherever you are. Side note: Thank you @PebblePawz for helping me write and edit this essay!
