Sunday Mailbag: Drawing Disabilities?

Q: How do you handle drawing caricatures of people with disabilities? Say your subject has Down’s Syndrome, or M.S., or they are in a wheelchair, something like that?

A: I find that people with disabilities take far more offense if you DON’T draw them as they look that if you do. Trying to “normalize” them is insulting. It is basically saying “You are broken but don’t worry, I will fix you in the drawing”. That is extremely insulting. People with disabilities are not broken, they are different just like anyone is different from the next person, it’s just that their differences create challenges other people don’t have to face. Their differences are a part of who they are, and that is nothing to be ashamed of.

That said, you should not make whatever disability they have the main focus of your caricature. That is also very insulting. My job as a caricaturist is to find the things that make my subjects unique and emphasize them, but just because someone has a disability does not mean that is the main focus of their persona. The strength and courage required to deal with their challenges is far more important to their presence than the disability that creates those challenges. You do not want to ignore their disability, but you do what to try and place your emphasis and exaggerations on the attributes that are in defiance of that disability. It might be just exaggerating their terrific smile and glad personality, or their energy and enthusiasm, or just the positive feel of their attitude/expression. People with disabilities have tremendous inner strength, and talking and engaging with them like you would any other person usually brings this out. Don’t ignore their disabilities, look to emphasize the things that are stronger because of those challenges.

I once discussed something like this on the blog or social media somewhere, and some misguided caricaturist wrote that when he draws someone with a disability, he always “fixes” them. For example, if his subject was in a wheelchair he’d draw them running a race and breaking the tape as the winner, and then tell them he believes they “will walk again”. This person actually thought this was a good thing, bringing them “hope”. I cannot imagine a more damaging, insulting way to approach that. That is tantamount to saying “you are damaged but maybe someday you can be normal”. Disabled peopled don’t need to “hope” they will suddenly wake up and be able to walk, or no longer have autism, or be “normal”. They are who they are, and they need to be treated like they are just like any other person.

Thanks to Grant Jonen for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!