Introduction
Moving Violations is an autobiography of John Hockenberry, an American television journalist and author. This book was written 19 years later, when he was 38, having spent half his life walking and the other half in a wheelchair. This is illustrated when an author states, “It is that exact moment and that precise memory that divides my life into the time when my legs carried me and the time I have spent carrying those same legs” (Hockenberry, 1995, p. 18). The author was paralyzed while hitchhiking in Pennsylvania in 1976 (Hockenberry, 1995). The accident not only left him with a ripped scalp and skull, but it also resulted in a broken collarbone, shoulder, and several ribs, as well as spinal cord injuries, which made him unable to move voluntarily from his mid-chest downwards.
This incident occurred before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, which left him facing many barriers to success, but he overcame them, not without some anger and bitterness. Disability never stopped him from pursuing what he wanted as he tried to adapt to his condition. Hockenberry has been one of the leading voices on disability rights movement despite his physical challenges, and he has written extensively about his experiences and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.
The book encompasses several themes, including Hockenberry’s love life. It travels to war-torn areas, such as the mountainous areas of Iraq and the bombarded roads of Jerusalem, while being in a wheelchair. Similarly, it explores the author’s condition’s inaccessibility to environments. Additionally, the publication highlights Hockenberry’s professional experience, including his time at National Public Radio (NPR) and his subsequent move to ABC News.
This autobiography offers a glimpse into Hockenberry’s life, revealing the hardships and successes of a man who had to redefine his existence after a severe accident. The book, therefore, represents Hockenberry’s resilience and his desire to live life to the fullest despite the personal struggles he faced. Hockenberry’s emic perspective emphasizes agency, autonomy, a sense of identity, resilience, and diversity of people with disabilities, which contrasts with the epic view of their dependence and helplessness.
Discussion
Disability is better understood through the lens of individuals who have lived through such experiences. The insider’s viewpoint, also known as the emic perspective, delves into the reality of living with these conditions, offering clear depictions without any assumptions. On the other hand, society views disability through an etic angle that is shaped by norms and practices known to perpetuate stigma and exclusion. The contrast between how Hockenberry perceives himself and how he is perceived by society and institutions, based on relevant examples from the book, is discussed as follows.
Emic Perspective
One of the major aspects of Hockenberry’s insider’s view of disability is the emphasis on agency and autonomy. Being paraplegic, the author experiences many physical challenges in his daily life. For instance, he experiences difficulties navigating airports, buildings, and public transportation. Such barriers limit his independence and mobility, challenging his ability to perform his professional and personal duties in society fully. However, despite these limitations, the author continues to pursue his career and his love of adventure.
For example, Hockenberry states that he has used his wheelchair “To observe shelling of Kabul, Afghanistan, to witness the dying children of Somalia” (Hockenberry, 1995, p. 3). In addition, the author’s ability to develop relationships with friends, particularly his marriage to Alice, proves his determination to live on his own terms (Hockenberry, 1995). These accounts demonstrate the author’s ability to meet his professional and personal obligations despite his infirmity. Most non-disabled individuals view people with disabilities (PWDs) as a burden and as incapable of making autonomous decisions regarding their lives (Ahmad et al., 2022). Nevertheless, through his narratives, Hockenberry perceives himself as independent and rejects being identified or restricted by his disability.
Another insider’s perspective highlighted in the book revolves around the sense of identity and belonging that PWDs create for themselves. Hockenberry gives an account of his path to acceptance as an individual with disability. He reflects on the challenges of his new identity as he seeks to harmonize his sense of self and his disability to find his unique space in society. However, through his engagement with the disability community, the author finally develops a feeling of belonging, validation, and solidarity with these marginalized people.
In this context, Hockenberry’s experience of skiing in New Hampshire with other PWDs and observation of their peaceful interactions demonstrates how this community cultivates its identity despite its challenges. He states, “The blind sat with the blind. The paraplegic wheelchairs sat with the paraplegic wheelchairs. Quadriplegics with other quads” (Hockenberry, 1995, p. 220). This description shows that PWDs have already embraced their identity and have no qualms about their conditions. This greatly contrasts with the societal perception of disability as a problem that needs fixing (Babik & Gardner, 2021). Therefore, Hockenberry perceives himself and other PWDs as being at peace with their identity.
Hockenberry’s emic viewpoint exemplifies PWDs’ resilience and adaptation in the face of adversity. The author’s reflections portray the creative approaches he uses to navigate his social and physical challenges, grounded in his problem-solving skills and resolve to overcome them. For example, after the accident, Hockenberry bought a van with a lift to help him get around until he learned to commute in a regular passenger car (Hockenberry, 1995). In addition, he travels globally, where he experiences a horde of accessibility problems, especially in the transport system.
However, he devises ways to adapt and overcome such obstacles without needing other people’s assistance. In this case, he learns to board a train by climbing the stairs with his backside until he reaches the platform, then hoists himself back into his chair (Hockenberry, 1995). Through these practices, the author views disability as an evolving, dynamic process that requires significant flexibility and adaptation. This challenges the societal outlook of PWDs as being dependent on other people throughout their lives. Thus, Hockenberry sees the resourcefulness and creativity that stem from living with a disability.
Hockenberry’s internal viewpoint celebrates the rich diversity and uniqueness of disability, highlighting its contributions to society. All his narratives about himself and other PWDs are aimed at rejecting the idea of impairment as a misfortune or deficit. For instance, before Hockenberry’s employment at the Care Center, the second shift was facing massive delays in its paperwork and programs (Hockenberry, 1995). However, a week after he got the job, the shift’s performance improved tremendously. This proves the exceptional potential of PWDs when allowed to prove themselves.
Similarly, the author’s account of Saul Lubaroff also emphasizes the expertise of individuals with disabilities. Although Saul suffered from Tourette’s syndrome, he worked at a radio station and as a rock disc jockey at night (Hockenberry, 1995). Even though his condition triggered him to say obscene words, he was able to control his utterances when holding a live show. From the author’s perspective, PWDs are seen as having great worth and dignity, which society often overlooks. Thus, by underlining the immense diversity within the disability community, the author affirms the inherent value of all people regardless of infirmity.
Etic Perspective
From an outsider’s view, disability rights and inclusion may be viewed through social practices and stereotypes. Throughout the book, Hochenberry offers insights into how society recognizes and treats people with disabilities, and emphasizes labels, systemic barriers, and the ableism that pervades this perception. Ranging from inaccessible infrastructure to patronizing attitudes, the writer shows how PWDs face stigmatization and discrimination where they are belittled, and their agency and dignity are diminished.
Hockenberry’s episodes of air travel demonstrate how he confronts numerous difficulties and humiliations due to his condition. He elaborates on the degrading procedure of being loaded onto the aircraft, judged by airline workers, where he is perceived as a nuisance and not like an ordinary passenger. This shows the outsiders’ perspective, in which PWDs are regarded as a burden, leading to constant stereotypes of dependence and helplessness (Ahmad et al., 2022). However, these people are not always reliant on others when unnecessary barriers are removed.
Society’s attitude towards Hockenberry and other disabled people is often one of shame and rejection. Recounts the embarrassing moments when he had been mistaken for another disabled person. For instance, while he was in Üzümlü, both men and women asked why he was there if he could not walk (Hockenberry, 1995). The residents’ concerns reflect society’s viewpoint, which focuses on their stature or appearance as physical limitations. This shows limited insight into the skills and abilities of disabled people.
From the etic perspective, disability is viewed mainly as deficient or incapable by using the criteria of ‘normal’ or ‘able-bodied’ in a given society as the standard. This can result in the marginalization of people with physical problems, as their values and abilities may be undervalued and overlooked. Discrimination against disabled people is deep-rooted and prevalent in many societies. The writer illustrates the fact that he is more often the subject of stares and whispers from subway passengers. Social norms and stereotypes usually decide what’s normal and acceptable. When someone deviates from these norms due to disability, they are often considered different, thus attracting attention to themselves and sometimes causing embarrassment.
Disability is often used to define people rather than seeing them as unique human beings with diverse experiences and identities. Thus, viewing them as lesser people may lead to dehumanization, in which they are seen as deserving less respect and dignity. The societal tendency to degrade individuals with disabilities is indicated by the experiences of other people that he mentioned in the book.
For instance, Charlie is described as a “little man,” and his visit to a nursing home is compared to visiting animals in a cage (Hockenberry, 1995). Roger is also referred to as a “high quad,” which means he can move only his head and neck (Hockenberry, 1995). Roger’s portrayal is inhuman because he is equated to “a doll in a horror movie” and described as “having a bobbing head and a motionless body” (Hockenberry, 1995). This calls for social awareness of the dignity and respect that should be accorded to everyone, regardless of their abilities or differences.
The etic standpoint of disability can also be understood through the lens of structural barriers that hinder Hockenberry’s mobility. The book also shows how PWDs are treated in institutions, including nursing homes and special rehabilitation centers. The author portrays these facilities as isolation centers where individuals with physical or mental challenges are kept away from society (Hockenberry, 1995). This depiction demonstrates how people with disabilities are subjected to discrimination and stereotyping by the systems and the people within the institutions.
Hockenberry’s narrative highlights the accessibility barrier in public transport systems, a systemic issue PWDs face. The absence of support reflects an etic perspective that may disregard the needs of persons with disabilities in the planning, implementation, and development of public space and services. Hockenberry’s experience on the New York City subway is a vivid example of the difficulties individuals like him face, underscoring the need for public infrastructure designed better to serve the specific needs of people with disabilities.
From an etic perspective, cultural norms and values dictate how disability is viewed and treated. The abuse of people with physical challenges for political purposes varies remarkably across cultures. Certainly, some cultures may perceive it as acceptable, while others see it as exploitative. An Iranian man pushes Hockenberry’s wheelchair while chanting “Death to all Americans” at Ayatollah Khomeini’s funeral, demonstrating the etic perspective of disability, which commonly seeks to use people with impairments to serve self-interests (Hockenberry, 1995).
Hockenberry’s position in this situation is that of an impartial observer; however, his physical condition is used to reinforce a political narrative. The Iranian guy’s chant has nothing to do with Hockenberry’s rights, but rather a statement about the issues between Iran and the United States. The incident, thus, highlights the etic perspective of disability whereby society subjects people like Hockenberry to manipulation for vested interests.
Conclusion
Hockenberry’s narrative provides a comprehensive exploration of the insider and outsider views on disability. The author’s accounts portray the agency, resilience, and diversity of PWDs despite societal stereotypes and barriers, as well as the systemic challenges they face in their daily lives. Reflecting on my personal experiences of disability, I have witnessed persons with disabilities progress in their careers regardless of societal attitudes and institutional barriers. I have also noticed the resourcefulness and contributions of this marginalized group across different spheres of life when given opportunities similar to those of non-disabled individuals.
Hockenberry’s book highlights that, aside from being a personal identity, disability is also a social and institutional construct. The personal perceptions of disability emanate from people who have lived such experiences and depict them as capable of independently leading normal lives by having careers, establishing relationships, and commuting from one place to another. Alternatively, the social and institutional concept of disability is shaped by cultural norms, power dynamics, and policies that can either support or hinder the rights of PWDs. Therefore, identifying and addressing negative perceptions regarding disability can help promote inclusion, justice, and equity for all PWDs.
References
Ahmad, S., Islam, M., Zada, M., Khattak, A., Ullah, R., Han, H., Ariza-Montes, A., & Araya-Castillo, L. (2022). The influence of decision making on social inclusion of persons with disabilities: A case study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 1-15.
Babik, I., & Gardner, E. S. (2021). Factors affecting the perception of disability: A developmental perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-26.
Hockenberry, J. (1995). Moving violations: War zones, wheelchairs, and declarations of independence. Hachette Books.