Blog Post: The Needs of the Many are the Needs of the Few

[Jim Gamma]

Posted originally on my work site:

What do we think about when we encounter someone new? We’re aware of, perhaps, their gender, their physical appearance, any obvious disabilities (say, those requiring use of a wheelchair or other tools). But how does that impact our response to them?

In a recent article on the official Star Trek website, Margaret Kingsbury discusses how the show has portrayed disability, and people’s reaction to it, throughout its existence. The examples range from the sublime (a blind chief engineer whose assistive sensor technology can give him far more detail than most of us could ever dream of) to the disheartening (the crew of Deep Space Nine’s treatment of the Melora named by the article).

How often do we see people as “inspiring” for “coping” with something natural to them because we know we couldn’t? Just as Geordi LaForge, the chief engineer, knew how to navigate the world using his VISOR, so Melora, born on a low-gravity world, knew how to operate in Earth-normal gravity.

The portrayal of the crew’s reaction, however, was very different: on The Next Generation, Geordi’s visual impairment is barely mentioned by the crew, whereas on Deep Space Nine, the challenges faced by Melora become the source of much consternation for the crew. Why is this?

Well, partly it’s because the episode Melora was written to highlight how disabled people are often treated in the real world, whereas Geordi LaForge was a main character, so they had more time to focus on other things.

Within the narrative, though, the answer is simple: to the DS9 crew, Melora was an anomaly, something they weren’t used to, requiring special adjustments. Nobody quite knew how to handle her, but generally she didn’t need “handling”; rather, she needed to be treated like the person she was. The crew fails to do this, and she leaves. ​​​​​​​

To the crew of The Next Generation, though, Geordi is one of them, treated as an equal, with any nonstandard requirements dealt with as a matter of course.

The important take-away from this article, for me, is that it is not the person, but their environment, that creates the disability. If people normalise having a different array of capabilities, then you end up considering “special” needs by default.

You ensure lifts have Braille and/or raised numbers as appropriate. You allow for a step-free fire escape route. You warn colleagues with allergies when the food they’re allergic to is present in certain parts of the building. In other words, you include them.

Let’s expand that, because inclusiveness isn’t just about disability. It’s about making equal pay and respect for women part of who we are. It’s about accepting gender identity, sexuality, faith and all of those Protected Characteristics we have to learn about every year – no, it’s not just “something we have to do,” it’s something with real consequences for the people around us.​​​​​​​

Right now, on the latest iteration of Star Trek, we have a gay couple, a non-binary character (though they’ve not come out to the crew yet) and an engineer in a wheelchair. The crew is among the most ethnically diverse we’ve ever seen on the show.

So, surely, we’re there? Well, no, because Star Trek is fiction. It shows the direction society needs to be heading, if we’re to grow and evolve. We’re making progress, even though it feels we’ve slid back a fair amount in the last few years, but there’s still a great deal of work to do. So I ask everyone here to do one thing, and one thing only: Normalise the things you see as “different”.

If someone’s being marginalised, include them, without drawing obvious attention to the reason for their marginalisation. Treat them with the same respect you’d offer any other friend or colleague, and remember they are, after all, human. Just like you.

[RJDiogenes]

Except when they're aliens. Nice article, Jim. Have you gotten any responses yet?

[Jim Gamma]

It's started quite a big conversation, I was quite surprised! I'd expected maybe one or two Likes, but I've had responses from all parts of the business.

[scottydog]

You're right, Jim, that Star Trek has always been about pointing the way to a better future, a more inclusive future. The Trumpism movement has set us back, but it's only a brief blip in the overall trajectory toward a more socially just and inclusive world.

[RJDiogenes]

It's started quite a big conversation, I was quite surprised! I'd expected maybe one or two Likes, but I've had responses from all parts of the business.

That's great. I hope they were all supportive responses.