((( F ORU M

Rendered Powerless: Disability versus

Westernized Beauty Standards
Tameka N. Ellington and Stacey R. Lim

) ) ) The Power and Exclusivity of Westernized Beauty

Standards

Westernized Beauty Standards (WBS) are guidelines overseeing and affecting

all human beings’ way of life. WBS ideologies originated in the ancient Greek
Pythagorean school, where scholars determined level of beauty based on math-
ematical equations. Continuing to use mathematics to define beauty, Stephen
Marquardt, a maxillofacial surgeon, developed the Marquardt Beauty Mask,
which was based on a golden ratio of 1.618. Marquardt stated that a perfectly
symmetrical, proportionate face and body are considered beautiful.1 In many
cases, those living with disabilities are not symmetrical or proportionate.
“In the contemporary United States, to be perceived as physically attractive,
is to be socially and sexually desirable.”2 According to the documentary, The
Illusionist,3 “‘the white blondified, small nosed, pert-­breasted, long legged body’
is seen as perfection in beauty and coming to stand in for the great variety of the
human body.” In general, “disabled” bodies are not associated with being physi-
cally attractive, and according to societal stigma, are “named” the contradiction
of perfection.4

Copyright © 2017 Michigan State University. Tameka N. Ellington and Stacey R. Lim, “Rendered Pow-
erless: Disability versus Westernized Beauty Standards,” QED: A Journal in GLBTQ Worldmaking 4.3
(2017): 170–176. ISSN 2327-1574. All rights reserved.
 Rendered Powerless ) 171

) ) ) Naming of “Others”
“Naming” becomes a “political, ontological, and epistemological issue” because
it renders the “named” powerless.5 Thus, the identity of a person is based on
appearance rather than character. Society has made people disabled—­not their
bodies, just as people are identified as “colored,” “faggot,” “dyke” or any other
derogatory term. Dr. David Anderson, emeritus professor of special education,
Christian minister, and disability advocate stated that “naming” denies people
with disabilities the opportunity to reach their full personhood, because the
name focuses on differences in ability, which “reflects misunderstanding of both
disability and the individual.”6

) ) ) Exclusivity in Beauty
The human ego does not easily accept disability, possibly due to the Freudian
idea that the ego lives on the surface of the body like skin, thriving on superficial
aspects of life.7 This theory has made it normal to “name” others. According to
the WBS golden ratio of beauty, skin tone, health, and age influence how beau-
tiful someone is,8 while excluding people of color, people with disabilities, and
older generations from ideal beauty. Society fears people with disabilities due to
a lack of understanding and genuine fear that they could one day become dis-
abled as well.9 Documented as early as ancient Greek times, this fear influenced
legislation that forced people with disabilities to remain confined to their resi-
dences with minimal exposure to the outside world. In 1974, Chicago was the last
United States city to repeal the “Ugly Law.”10 This angst results in people with a
disability losing their human dignity. The fashion industry is no exception. It was
once said, “New York Fashion Week would rather burn down than see a disabled
person appear on the runway.”11 Although 20 percent of people in the United
States have a disability,12 this market is largely ignored by the fashion industry.

) ) ) Ableism and Fashion

As a result of the 1960s and 1970s disability rights movement, the term ableism
was coined to have a connotation similar to those of racism and sexism, because
it signified the unjust perception that those with a disability are inferior.13
Ableism reveals itself in society as blatant discrimination or as a form of cultural
appropriation. Reality star Kylie Jenner and Interview Magazine were accused
172 ( Tameka N. Ellington and Stacey R. Lim and Shaun Cole

of ableism for a cover shoot of Jenner sitting in a gold wheelchair wearing a

black vinyl leotard with what appeared to be a matching sadism and masochism
(S&M) choker. Lady Gaga had also been accused of ableism when she performed
in a wheelchair in her 2009 Paparazzi music video and a live performance of
You and I in 2011.14 In these instances, disability is fetishized, which Jillian Mer-
cado, a model with muscular dystrophy, set out to dispel.15 These overt forms of
cultural appropriation of disability are not to be mistaken for the Tools of Life
photoshoot featuring artist Elana Langer, dressed in lingerie wearing a bejeweled
hearing aid or using a bejeweled walker.16 She stated on her website that “These
products are meant to enhance the tools that help enhance life itself.”17 However,
Langer can be criticized for her self-­portrayal as a person with disabilities, even
though her message was to promote a positive sense of sexuality and beauty
for those with disabilities.

) ) ) Newly Claimed Power: Toward a Theory for

Empowering the (dis)ABLED

Young’s concept of the Five Faces of Oppression describes 1) exploitation; 2) mar-

ginalization; 3) powerlessness; 4) cultural imperialism; and 5) verbal and physical
violence. People with disabilities have experienced all five to some degree. In
order to function well in society, people with disabilities must work to make the
concept of “disability” a “positive and central” part of their identity.18 They must
find “a resource to struggle against society” in order to change the dogma.19
Disability is seen as “beastly,”20 just as a person with coal dark skin is seen as
“primitive”21 and a queer person seen as “perverted”;22 however, the social fight
is the same. Bodies and identities are driven by “order of representation” and by
the social ideologies dependent on that order.23 When people with disabilities
resist these discriminatory ideas and demand adaptable environments (cloth-
ing included), they become empowered. Thus, the environment (and apparel
market) has no choice but to supply what is being demanded. Some designers
create prostheses, assistive equipment, and apparel designed for the needs of
those with disabilities. These items provide the necessary functionality and serve
as empowering fashionable pieces. Rebirth Garments creates adaptive apparel
for those on the full spectrum of gender identity, size, and ability. Rebirth’s
mission is to challenge the WBS, which they describe as “sizest, ableist, and
conform[ing] to the gender binary.”24 The fashion industry has not been pro-
gressive in making goods for markets outside the WBS.25 By having fashionable
garments, assistive devices, and prostheses, the person’s style and personality are
at the forefront—­not the disability.
 Rendered Powerless ) 173

In order to place inclusive fashion at the forefront is to increase product visi-

bility and open dialogue among those who are able-­bodied and those who have
disabilities. The authors curated a museum exhibition, (dis)ABLED BEAUTY:
the evolution of beauty, disability, and ability, featuring creatively designed apparel,
assistive devices, and prostheses. The exhibition provided a platform to begin
deconstructing the paradox between fashion and disability. In order to promote
further discussion, we propose a framework based on social justice theoretical
philosophies—­critical theory, the social model of disability, and Christian ontol-
ogies. In order to empower people with disabilities, future research on beauty
and disability must consider understanding the stigma surrounding disability.26
Abled-­body people must understand how they render people with disabilities
helpless before knowing their capabilities.27 Last, understanding the need for envi-
ronments28 and clothing29 designed with inclusion in mind is critical. Researchers
must also grapple with the idea that none of these elements are possible without
having “redeemed eyes” and a “whole sighted” mindset that allows society to see
beyond the physicality to the inner character30 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Framework for empowering the (dis)ABLED through an interven-

tion of the mind. Based on Anderson and Siebers.31
174 ( Tameka N. Ellington and Stacey R. Lim and Shaun Cole

Although projects such as (dis)ABLED BEAUTY are a step in the right direc-
tion for promoting open dialogue about disability and inclusive design, there
is still work to do. It is up to all of us, whether we are researchers, designers, or
people in mainstream society, to promote collective consciousness in order to
render the stigma, instead of people, powerless.

n ot e s
1. Gary Meisner, “Facial Analysis and the Beauty Mask,” Golden Number, January 12,
2014, accessed November 23, 2016, http://​www​.goldennumber​.net/​beauty/.
2. Thomas J. Gerschick, “Toward a Theory of Disability and Gender,” Signs 25, no. 4,
(Summer 2000): 1266.
3. The Illusionist. Directed by Elena Rossini, (Media Education Foundation), 2015.
Film.
4. David W. Anderson, “Beauty and Disability,” International Journal of Christianity
and Education 19, no. 3 (2015): 4; Dan Thompson, “Ugly Laws: The History of Dis-
ability Regulation in North America,” Progress (Spring 2011): 15.
5. Nancy J. Hirschmann, “Queer/Fear: Disability, Sexuality, and the Other,” Journal of
Medical Humanities 34, no 2 (2013): 140.
6. Anderson, “Beauty and Disability,” 2.
7. Tobin Siebers, “Disability in Theory: From Social Constructionism to the New
Realism of the Body,” American Literary History 13, no. 4 (2001): 742.
8. Meisner, “Facial Analysis and the Beauty Mask.”
9. Hirschmann, “Queer/Fear: Disability,” 141.
10. Thompson, “Ugly Laws,” 15.
11. Kelly Knox, “Models with Disabilities: The Most Underrepresented Group in Fash-
ion,” Huffpost: United Kingdom, February 22, 2016, accessed June 12, 2017, http://​
www​.huffingtonpost​.co​.uk/​kelly​-knox/​fashion​-for​-all​-models​-with​-disabilities​_b​
_9291520​.html.
12. Robert Bernstein, “Nearly 1 in 5 People Have a Disability in the U.S., Census
Bureau Reports: Report Released to Coincide with 22nd Anniversary of the ADA,”
U.S. Census Bureau, July 25, 2012, accessed June 12, 2017, https://​www​.census​.gov/​
newsroom/​releases/​archives/​miscellaneous/​cb12​-134​.html.
13. Simi Linton, “Education: Essay Reassigning Meaning,” Disability History Museum,
2017, accessed June 12, 2017, http://​www​.disabilitymuseum​.org/​dhm/​edu/​essay​
.html​?id​=​21.
14. Julie Mazziotta, “Kylie Jenner Slammed for Posing in Wheelchair for Provoca-
tive Interview Magazine Photoshoot,” People Bodies, December 2, 2015, accessed
June 12, 2017, http://​people​.com/​bodies/​kylie​-jenner​-under​-fire​-for​-photoshoot​-in​
-wheelchair/.
15. Caitlin Gibson, “Jillian Mercado Made It as a Model with a Disability: Here’s What
She Wants Next,” Washington Post, April 28, 2016, accessed November 23, 2016,
 Rendered Powerless ) 175

https://​www​.washingtonpost​.com/​news/​arts​-and​-entertainment/​wp/​2016/​04/​28/​
jillian​-mercado​-made​-it​-as​-a​-model​-with​-a​-disability​-heres​-what​-she​-wants​-next/​
?utm​_term​=​.c068b90934b3.
16. Jessica Probus, “These Bedazzled Hearing Aids Might Change the Way You See and
Hear the World,” Buzz feed, August 6, 2014, accessed June 12, 2017, https://​www​
.buzzfeed​.com/​jessicaprobus/​these​-bedazzled​-hearing​-aids​-might​-change​-the​-way​
-you​-see​-an​?utm​_term​=​.xr8D47g5x​#​.js7E1go5w.
17. Elana Langer, What I Live By, accessed June 12, 2017, http://​www​.whatiliveby​.com/.
18. Adrienne Asch, “Critical Race Theory, Feminism, and Disability: Reflections on
Social Justice and Personal Identity,” Ohio State Law Journal 62 (2001): 10.
19. Siebers, “Disability in Theory,” 744.
20. Anderson, “Beauty and Disability,” 3.
21. Eric P. H. Li, Hyun Jeong Min, Russell W. Belk, Junko Kimura, and Shalini Bahl,
“Skin Lightening and Beauty in Four Asian Cultures,” Advances in Consumer
Research 35 (2008): 444.
22. Hirschmann, “Queer/Fear: Disability,” 141.
23. Siebers, “Disability in Theory,” 739.
24. Sky Cubacub, Rebirth Garments, accessed June 15, 2017, http://​rebirthgarments​
.com/​about​-1/.
25. Only a few large, well-­known companies have attempted to sell inclusive styles
by way of androgynous/unisex fashion, such as Zara and H&M. Zappos recently
started their Zappos Adaptive Collection selling garments and shoes that are easy to
slip on and off. However, Zappos Adaptive Collection is a compilation of apparel
items sourced from major mainstream brands whose missions do not include those
with disabilities. Runway of Dreams has a collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger to
design adaptive clothing, however, the clothing is designed for children, overlook-
ing the market of adults who wish to also wear clothing with the Tommy Hilfiger
design aesthetic. The market targeting queer customers and those with disabilities
consists of small companies that are often difficult to find, with products that are
also difficult to obtain.
26. Asch, “Critical Race Theory,” 9.
27. Gerschick, “Toward a Theory of Disability and Gender,” 1264.
28. Siebers, “Disability in Theory,” 738
29. Jane M. Lamb, “Disability and the Social Importance of Appearance,” Clothing and
Textiles Research Journal 19, no 3. (2001): 138.
30. Anderson, “Beauty and Disability,” 6–­7.
31. In Figure 1 there are three internal themes: Theme 1) Understanding and decon-
structing the societal stigma surrounding people with disabilities. This concept
is derived from critical theory, which has the focus of calling to attention the
issues in society and changing those issues. With emancipatory aims, critical the-
ory explains to society what to do to change by way of getting rid of societal
norms and by being open to new ideas. Theme 2) Demanding environmental
spaces be built or adapted; and Theme 3) Demanding that clothing be inclusive
176 ( Tameka N. Ellington and Stacey R. Lim and Shaun Cole

comes from the social model of disability’s main goal—­equality. Society forgets
people with disabilities and develops spaces that are inaccessible and clothing
that is uncomfortable for those with disabilities. The Christian ontology is repre-
sented in Anderson’s concepts “ora of redeemed eyes” (the ability to look beyond
someone’s disability/imperfections) and being “wholesighted” (seeing others for
all their attributes). Respect, empathy, and understanding are the simple terms
of these concepts. Without those human qualities, society will never change its
image of those with disabilities. The (dis)ABLED BEAUTY exhibition challenged
its audience’s idea of what being disabled looks like. The exhibition showcased
how highly designed assistive devised enhance the functional and aesthetic qual-
ities of their users. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “The Frankfurt School
and Critical Theory,” accessed June 16, 2017, http://​www​.iep​.utm​.edu/​frankfur/.
Adam M. Samaha, “What Good is the Social Model of Disability?” University
of Chicago Law Review 74, no 4 (2007): 1251–­1308; Anderson, “Beauty and dis-
ability”; Tameka Ellington and Stacey Lim, (dis)ABLED BEAUTY: the evolution
of beauty, disability and ability, accessed June 15, 2017, https://​www​.kent​.edu/​
museum/​event/​disabled​-beauty.

)))
Tameka N. Ellington, PhD, is an assistant professor of fashion at Kent State Uni-
versity. Her research interests include African American and other marginalized
populations’ way of dress; with a particular focus on dress discrimination. She is
co-curator of (dis)ABLED BEAUTY: the evolution of beauty, disability and ability,
a museum exhibition.

Stacey R. Lim, AuD, PhD, is an assistant professor of audiology at Central Mich-

igan University, and her areas of interest include literacy, cochlear implants, and
pediatric audiology. She is also co-curator of (dis)ABLED BEAUTY. Dr. Lim was
born with profound hearing loss and wears a cochlear implant and hearing aid.
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