BloodyHellSausage
Troubadour
Are they completely welcomed into society, or are they euthanized at birth? Furthermore, does the attitude depend on the type of disability a person has?
-
Welcome to the Fantasy Writing Forums. Register Now to join us!
What is your society's attitude towards people with disablities?
- Thread starter BloodyHellSausage
- Start date
JBryden88
Troubadour
Well. I have a whole fantasy world to consider, and thus multiple societies.
So in my main project I focus on a race of giants divided into multiple clan kingdoms. Of the five kingdoms, only one of them looks down on "disabled" people and mostly because they're very nomadic and very violent - someone who can't walk is a hinderance for example.
That said, by and large this is a culture that respects strength - and while that's easy to assume they mean physical strength it really mean strength of all sorts. A giant who lets his disability ruin his life is seen as weak and therefore cast aside as with anyone considered "weak." That said, if a giant who say has one leg still turns out to be a skilled battle tactician, or some sort of skilled worker in a way that does not require his legs? He's perfectly accepted and nobody looks at him differently. A giant who might have a mental illness but can still fight is treated as no different than anyone else. If you're useful to society there's nothing wrong with you.
The human realms are a bit more varied and tend to be what you'd expect in various medieval and ancient cultures.
So in my main project I focus on a race of giants divided into multiple clan kingdoms. Of the five kingdoms, only one of them looks down on "disabled" people and mostly because they're very nomadic and very violent - someone who can't walk is a hinderance for example.
That said, by and large this is a culture that respects strength - and while that's easy to assume they mean physical strength it really mean strength of all sorts. A giant who lets his disability ruin his life is seen as weak and therefore cast aside as with anyone considered "weak." That said, if a giant who say has one leg still turns out to be a skilled battle tactician, or some sort of skilled worker in a way that does not require his legs? He's perfectly accepted and nobody looks at him differently. A giant who might have a mental illness but can still fight is treated as no different than anyone else. If you're useful to society there's nothing wrong with you.
The human realms are a bit more varied and tend to be what you'd expect in various medieval and ancient cultures.
Aryth
Minstrel
Great question! I suppose the answer would depend upon the type of disability. In one of my stories the culture is militant and status is determined upon military accomplishments. Those of the lower classes who are unable to work/join the military are taken to concentration camps. The work sphere is highly supervised. One of the characters is blind and is kept hidden away by her sister so that she is not taken away. However, if someone had a disability that would not interfere with their "productivity" as defined by the ruling class they would be left alone. In the same story, a very successful, high-ranking person has bipolar disorder (undiagnosed) and is not singled out for it.
- Thread starter
- #4
BloodyHellSausage
Troubadour
Viorp
Minstrel
Depends heavily on the disability and the social standing of a person.
I the thing I'm making now being an albino for example is like being a saint of the church of angels.
Meanwhile being born with dark skin is associated with the abyss and you are considered to be profaned.
(in the protagonists hometown)
Proper disabilities like not being able to walk or missing an arm or leg are generarly not brought up. No one would shun or attack you for it, but you would also not get any additional help because of it os if you are poor and disabled you are ****ed.
I the thing I'm making now being an albino for example is like being a saint of the church of angels.
Meanwhile being born with dark skin is associated with the abyss and you are considered to be profaned.
(in the protagonists hometown)
Proper disabilities like not being able to walk or missing an arm or leg are generarly not brought up. No one would shun or attack you for it, but you would also not get any additional help because of it os if you are poor and disabled you are ****ed.
Michael K. Eidson
Archmage
Society in my WIP doesn't treat anyone special. Everyone tries to take advantage of everyone else equally. You have your friends and family, and hopefully can rely on them. The area around Main Street and Central Square are protected by magical wards. Otherwise, a person's ability to own something is about equivalent to their ability to protect said ownership. Having a disability doesn't get you any special consideration, except to the degree that it makes you an easy target for thieves. There are the occasional patrols by law enforcement persons, and they will arrest criminals if they catch them in the act. If they catch you, it won't matter to them whether you're disabled -- they will haul you in. It will then be up to the individual judge to determine your punishment. Typically the judges will take into consideration any special circumstances, but aren't required to.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Remind me not to live in Michaels society...
I think for the most part, the general attitude is it would suck to have a disability. The most likely result is it will affect ones ability to make a living and so they would more likely than others become beggars. In the story, one character has lost a leg, and some time soon I am pretty sure another is going to lose an eye. The character who lost the leg was very concerned about their future, and so were the others around them.
Ultimately though, class and wealth matters, and so it did not turn out so bad for them. But they would be among the few in that regard I think.
Attitudes towards them would probably be not much different than attitudes towards people in similar situations around me today. Some sympathy, a lot of indifference, no real intent to do any of them harm, but we all have our own problems to solve. Some, more moved to do so, may attempt to help them in some way, but it probably wont change their lot in life. But hey...lots in life don't always amount to much anyway. Sometimes its better to just be loved and have friends.
I think for the most part, the general attitude is it would suck to have a disability. The most likely result is it will affect ones ability to make a living and so they would more likely than others become beggars. In the story, one character has lost a leg, and some time soon I am pretty sure another is going to lose an eye. The character who lost the leg was very concerned about their future, and so were the others around them.
Ultimately though, class and wealth matters, and so it did not turn out so bad for them. But they would be among the few in that regard I think.
Attitudes towards them would probably be not much different than attitudes towards people in similar situations around me today. Some sympathy, a lot of indifference, no real intent to do any of them harm, but we all have our own problems to solve. Some, more moved to do so, may attempt to help them in some way, but it probably wont change their lot in life. But hey...lots in life don't always amount to much anyway. Sometimes its better to just be loved and have friends.
Alora pendrak
Scribe
in my universe It depends on the group of Fairies and the disability. the Seelie Court is obsessed with order and beauty so they are repulsed by any physical deformity to the point where if their own soilders lose their limbs they'll set them up in a village away from the rest of the Seelie Fairies to live out their days away from everyone else. Their also unsatisfied with their own fairy king due to him being a hemophilliac someone who doesn't stop bleeding becuse their scared he's going to die and then they'll be in danger. The Wild Hunt hates any kind of weakness their a warrior culture so anything that stops you from fighting or hunting is not considered good, if a baby fairy is born deformed they'll leave it out in the wildness to die. If it survives comes back and finds the hunt when its grown that's proof of its strength and the gods favor it will be welcomed with open arms. The Unseelie Court doesn't care one way or the other they'll take anyone deformed, ugly ect its why their numbers are so great. As for mental illness most of the fairies would be thought of as mentally ill in some way shape or form by human standards. Like peter pan they never grow old but unlike him they cann't magically forget every bad memory so you've got creatures with teenage brains at the most walking around with thousands of years of baggage which they never dealt with properly if at all. So i guess the fairy attitude toward mental disability for the most part is pretend nothing is wrong.
In one society, the one my protagonists grew up in, those with physical deformities are usually left alone, some make it some don't. If they're noble, they may be shunned by their family if they could get away with it (such is the case with one protagonist who was a noble but exhibited magick use as he grew into early puberty, and was shunned by his father because of his father's ego).
In the culture for my antagonist empire, physical deformity or other such disability is treated like Sparta and the mother who gave birth to the person is also demoted from her caste.
In the culture for my antagonist empire, physical deformity or other such disability is treated like Sparta and the mother who gave birth to the person is also demoted from her caste.
Similar threads
