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class="content__text" John Loeppky says travelling with parasport athletes tells you a lot about how disabled people are viewed.⁠ ⁠ “There's something about being stuck in an airport with a bunch of fellow travellers you'll likely never see again that seems to invite uncomfortable questions about your disability,” says Loeppky in a CBC opinion piece.⁠ ⁠ Loeppky says that while on these trips, many people he encountered would call him a hero simply for travelling somewhere.⁠ ⁠ Media coverage, he says, often portrays disabled people as a champion or a victim. Wider society doesn't offer much middle ground either.⁠ ⁠ This narrow representation can also stifle addressing harm within the disabled community, Loeppky says.⁠ ⁠ “If we’re only considered heroes or victims, then we go unchallenged on that behaviour.”⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to watch more.⁠ ⁠ This opinion piece is by John Loeppky, a disabled artist and freelance writer/editor in Saskatoon. It's part of a series called Taking a Sitting Stand about disability issues.⁠ (Photo: Matt Duguid for CBC; Reporting: John Loeppky for CBC; Graphics: Jamie Hopkins/CBC) | #CBC #CBCNews #CBCOpinion #Opinion #Disabled #DisabledCommunity

February 16, 2023