Society has a tendency to create stereotypes to define various populations. Such is the case with disabled people. However, time and again we can see how these stereotypes have led not only to marginalization, but also to blatant oppression of said minority groups. This can be easily illustrated in the case of women, people of African heritage, and most recently the lesbian, gay, transgender, and queer-identified community. (Shapiro, 1993.) Disabled people are no different. In this paper I will argue that while the origin of stereotyping disabled persons may have been well-intended, it has served to create an environment which has prevented many disabled people from flourishing. By displaying certain types of disabled people as pitiable, able-bodied people are able to feel superior for their contributions to the charitable cause du jour. Meanwhile, the very people whose lives are most relevant to the cause have been muted by the charitable organizations which they are supposed to represent. .
In 1843, Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol was published to high acclaim and success. In the fable-esque story, Dickens used specific archetypes to make a point about Christian charity, morality, and mortality. The Tiny Tim character represents Ebenezer Scrooge's greatest fear and deepest desire because Tiny Tim is diminutive, weak, and helpless but he is also loved unconditionally by everyone. It is Tiny Tim's vulnerability that makes him so lovable and the very thing that Scrooge is determined to avoid. The moral of A Christmas Carol comes to Scrooge on his death bed when he realizes that kindness and charity in life will bring everlasting peace. It is a simple and moralistic tale which has been carried throughout the twenty- first century to an extreme. It conjures the image of a wagging finger admonishing humanity for treating "those unfortunate people" so poorly. In effect, this mentality has created a world in which disabled people are not only treated with condescension, but are prevented from reaching their own potential due to internal and external discrimination.