Murderball – Alternate Assignment
- Does the film feature people who were born with disabilities? Or people who have acquired disabilities? And what impact might that have in the perspectives of the people featured in the film?
The people who are featured in the film are individuals who were born without disabilities. Therefore, the players featured in the film are individuals who acquired disability through accidents or illnesses. It should be acknowledged that all players are quadriplegics, which means they got a paralysis by injury or illness that led into partial loss of use their four limbs and torso. Based on the film, the disabilities of the people featured in the film provided the opportunity to take part in wheelchair rugby tournaments, which provide them with an alternative life of sports. The film shows that disability is not inability as the persons with disabilities are starts in wheelchair rugby that hold tournaments in the United States and Canada for teams from both countries.
- What were the initial assumptions, biases, and/or stigmas you had before watching this film? How did this film challenge or change your thinking?
Before watching this video, I had the assumption that wheelchair users could not have exciting sports that they could participated. Unfortunately, before I watched this videos, I was not aware of wheelchair rugby or any other thrilling sport for wheelchair users. Therefore, when I watched the film, I was shocked that there was such a game as wheelchair rugby that existed. I felt ashamed that I never thought of some popular sports for wheelchair users, and literally any other sport for people with different disabilities. Thus, the film completely changed my thinking about wheelchair users and people with similar disabilities. I realized that there are thrilling sports such as wheelchair rugby that is popular with quadriplegics.
- Explain how the content and perspectives in this film relate to the social model and medical model of disability.
The content and perspectives in this film relates to the social model through the manner in which people with disabilities are comforted and given a lifeline by the wheelchair rugby competitions. The availability of the rugby sport that is specially designed to be played by people with disability and in wheelchairs shows how the society cares about the problems that wheelchair uses have. Thus, it relates to social model because it work on ways to solve issues that affect the disabled community. On the other hand, the film relates to medical model in the scenarios where people fail like they do not need to be involved with issues of the disabled community, since those problems are for the people with disabilities.
- Name at least 2 of the following concepts learned in this course that are applicable to Murderball, and explain how they apply.
The two important concepts that I have learned in this course that are applicable to Murderball as Assistive Technology and Employment.
- Assistive Technology
The assistive technology that is applicable in the film is the design of wheelchairs that are used for the special rugby for the people with disabilities. In this regard, these rugby wheelchair are different from the ordinary wheelchair, as they are specially designed to incorporate a frame that holds the piece together, as well as two large wheels that are titled at an angle to allow greater stability.
- Employment
The concept of employment in the film entails people with disability taking wheelchair rugby players taking the sport as their source of livelihood. The sport tournaments of wheelchair rugby provide the players with the necessary salaries throughout the year.
- In the film, what might be perceived as inconsistent with the Disability Studies content taught in class and/or perceived as problematic by the disability community in general?
How might the film support Disability Studies perspectives taught in Gen S420?
From the film, disability community is mainly highlighted to face fewer challenges in the societies as showcased with the kind of challenges that wheelchair players encounter in their sporting endeavors, as well as their social life. While the Disabilities Studies seem to suggest that different communities are lagging behind in supporting people with disabilities, the film seems to show the exact opposite. In the film, more people in different societies appear to understand the problems of people with disabilities and thus, accommodate them with open arms. The film can be used to support Disability Studies by showcasing how communities support people with disability, as highlighted in the tournament that wheelchair rugby players are involved.
- Explore dignity and ableism perpetuated within the film. Give examples of comments made by the subjects of the film that either perpetuate dignity, or that are indications of ableist attitudes (even if the commentator experiences disability).
Dignity and ableism is evidently highlighted in several scenes of the film. In this regard, Zupan and Soures are at some conflict as Soures moves to Canadian side to train their teams against the American side. As a result, there ensues a rivalry between the two that reveals that other bitterness in their heart due to the manner they are treated as people with disabilities. A childhood friend of Zupan describes him as a jerk even before he got paralyzed. The Zupan’s friend are insensitive to the disabled community. Lastly, there also a little men talk that talks about their sex lives. Thus, for quadriplegia, the dialogue ends with discriminating works being used to describe these men and their sex lives. Thus, it felt insensitive to negatively talk of the sex experiences of those with the disability, which was totally unnecessary.
- Given all that you have learned in this course, write a brief film summary, as if you were reviewing Murderball for a Disability Studies journal or magazine. How would you rate it in terms of alignment with Disability Studies values (social model, ableism, access, etc.). Would you recommend it or not? Why or why not? For what audience(s)?
The movie Murderball is a documentary that follows players who are quadriplegic strapped up on wheelchairs making fierce moves as they play wheelchair rugby or quad rugby, which is a sport that they also call murderball. The film mostly focuses on the ferocious competitive spirit that these players have as they take part in the sport, in spite of their disabilities. The movie also follows the story of Soares who moves to Canadian team and thus, leading to a deadly encounter with Zupan and his team. Therefore, I would rate the movie as incredible in highlighting specific things that people with disabilities can utilize to enjoy like another other individual without disability. I would recommend it as it inspires people that solutions of people with disabilities need to be found by both the society and the people with disabilities.
Course Reflection
- What impact has this course had in your life, if any? Given what you have learned in Gen S420 in general, how might you see yourself including, and contributing to the lives of people with disabilities now and in the future? And how might you foresee people with disabilities contributing to your life now and in the future?
This course has been interesting and informative at the same time. It is through this course that I got the opportunity to understand the needs, as well as challenges of people with disabilities. Thus, I learned that it is important to be sensitive of the language that I use when I am talking about people with disabilities. Using the inappropriate language mostly leads to incidences where it may typically seem like discrimination to the people with disabilities. The movie has also helped me understand their potential for greater things, as demonstrated by the rugby wheelchair players. Thus, I think that people with disabilities have great potential just like everyone else, and thus, with necessary support, it is possible to achieve greatest potentials in their lives.