In our society, there are few positive images of women living with facial and physical differences and disabilities. While contending with discriminations faced by many women, women with physical differences and disabilities also are subjected to the stigma of a body which is perceived as not quite female, (Garland Thomson) “less than whole,” (DiMarco) and “not quite human” (Goffman). Women’s experiences are directly related to western society’s homogenized, naturalized, and patriarchal notions of body and appearance. Despite growing discourses about diversity issues, ideologies of the body remain embedded within binary oppositions of “normal” and “abnormal” (Davis 1995, 1997). Physical differences and disabilities frequently are positioned as personal tragedy, a burden to self and others, deformity, and inferiority (Rogers and Swadener). Because of medicalization,differences in appearance and ability typically are interpreted as illness or disease. As a result, public dialogue and medical discourse tend to focus on physical difference and disabilty as something to be shunned or overcome (Zitzelsberger, Odette, Rice, and Whittington-Walsh).

Rice, C., Zitszelsberger, H., Porch, W., & Ignagni, E. (2005). Creating community across disability and difference. Canadian Woman Studies, 24(1), 187–193.