Topic: People with disabilities on Reality TV Shows

[Chameleon777]

What are your thoughts on people with intellectual or attention-related disabilities being cast in future seasons of The Amazing Race?

It's nice to see people with physical issues conquer great feats, yes, but I would honestly like to see more, like myself, with intellectual or attention-related disabilities, also referred to as "invisible disabilities" on the Race.

People with "invisible disabilities" are often shunned and ignored because if society can't SEE that a person has disabilities, they are not disabled, just weird and should be ignored or openly shunned....it's a common indifference that is fueled by ignorance and I speak from pure experience...

What thoughts are there on this issue?

[suz]

Absolutely, i think it's great - though would someone want that pointed out or would we just learn in the course of the show that it's an issue for that contestant?  I guess it would be part of their back story so the tv viewer would know, just not necessarily the other contestants, yes?  Interesting though...

[micah]

I have no problem with it, but I think that reality shows sometimes prey on people with hidden disabilities, especially the more drama-fueled ones.

[Mandoli]

I like it, but sometimes if the disablility is physical, production will edit so that it's the focal point of the person/team. "This is not going to stop me from completing my goal." Great. I don't want to hear it every week, though. It takes away from them actually doing what they want to do, you know?

[Jobby]

I think Luke being on TAR is one of the greatest things that happened to the show and i'm also glad that the show didn't pimp the fact that he's deaf over and over again throughout the entire season.

On the other hand, as long as people with "disabilities" are memorable, they seemed to be back for Allstars? Charla came back for the first one, while Luke returned for UB. The only other person i could think of was Sarah of Peter and Sarah who didn't make it to the first allstars because they came in seventh place in Season 10. Not that it's a bad thing for them to be asked back to race again.. but they seemed to be "pimping" their disability by asking them to be back on the show for a second time?

[Coutzy]

I think Luke being on TAR is one of the greatest things that happened to the show and i'm also glad that the show didn't pimp the fact that he's deaf over and over again throughout the entire season.

On the other hand, as long as people with "disabilities" are memorable, they seemed to be back for Allstars? Charla came back for the first one, while Luke returned for UB. The only other person i could think of was Sarah of Peter and Sarah who didn't make it to the first allstars because they came in seventh place in Season 10. Not that it's a bad thing for them to be asked back to race again.. but they seemed to be "pimping" their disability by asking them to be back on the show for a second time?

I don't think they are pimping it too badly.

So far, there hasn't been much mentioned at all about Luke's being deaf, and IIRC, the same happened with Charla on All Stars.

[Prophet]

If people with disabilities are to compete on reality TV, they should not be on the show to complain about their disability but should show people that they are going to overcome their disability by rising above it.
So no, I don't have any problem with "disabled" people coming on reality tv, as long as they aren't going to draw attention to themselves selfishly. Like Mandoli said, nobody wants to hear about that every week. If I were the disabled person I would be tired of that being my whole identity.