Sunday, November 6, 2016

Disabilty pop culture icons: Tyrion and Bran

In one of my favorite shows, Game of Thrones, there are two popular characters that could easily be pop culture ambassadors for disability rights: Tyrion Lannister and Bran Stark.
Tyrion Lannister is a character with dwarfism, known as a "little person" or a "midget" (both considered to be derogatory terms today.) Of course, there are many challenges that face individuals with this condition-but of course many advantages as well. Highly intelligent, Tyrion uses his wits to get to where he wants and needs to be.
As said, there are many things that an individual with dwarfism could do that I, at 5'7, couldn't easily do. Tyrion could fit into small, enclosed spaces easily, whereas for someone of average size it would be harder-could someone with dwarfism excel in urban search and rescue, where often a rescuer must crawl into small, confined spaces? I bet so! The fact that Tyrion is one of, if not THE most, popular and well-loved characters in Game of Thrones, is certainly an advantage. I hope and believe that, with the fan base that Tyrion has, more awareness has been spread to the understanding of people with "disabilities" and what they CAN do.
We also can't forget Bran Stark. Thrown out of a window as a small child, Bran permanently lost the use of his legs. Did that stop him? No! Bran figured out ways that he could easily get around, including having a horse specially trained for him to ride, and of course having Hodor (may he rest in peace) carry him! At ten years old, this "crippled" child was ruling Winterfell while his older family members were away. Having visions from a three-eyed raven, Bran eventually realized that he was a "warg"-his mind had the power to enter into the body of his direwolf, Summer, as well as other animals, humans, and even trees. Wise and strong beyond his years, the paraplegic Bran Stark found a way of life that few can only dream of! His legs may not work-but his mind makes up for it! My hope is, with the popularity of this show and the "disabled" characters on it, more people are becoming more attuned to disability awareness and starting to see what people CAN do!
The author of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire...sorry but anyone who calls my father "the Asperger's syndrome poster child" has never seen George RR Martin. Miss Jenna with her buddy Summer!

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