The Disney Movies I Relate to as Someone With a Disability
While laying on my bed doing homework on my laptop, I decided to watch a movie on Netflix. As I was going through the list of the recommended films, “Cars 3” was on the list. I thought OK, I’ll just put “Cars 3” on for some background noise since I’m not going to pay attention to it. It’s a Walt Disney film, and I’m a bit too old to be watching it anyway.
But as I started to do my schoolwork, I began to listen and follow the plot. Lighting McQueen was retired, but he didn’t want to give up on the one thing he loves most — race car driving — despite everyone telling him just to quit and enjoy retirement. While Lighting McQueen is determined to prove everyone wrong, he faces obstacles and challenges along the way. In a society where everyone once loved and admired him, everyone seems to have turned on him.
I could relate to that, and I know the feeling because when I left public school to be home schooled everyone doubted I was going to become successful and get my high school diploma. The people I considered my friends didn’t hang out with me anymore, and the young man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with dumped me on Valentine’s Day. I had the odds against me at that point, but I didn’t stop until I reached the finish line, holding up my nice shiny trophy — my high school diploma.
The Walt Disney Company did an excellent job with the storyline, plot and message of “Cars 3,” which is: “No matter what obstacle you face, don’t give up.” It’s a message everyone should remember when they feel like giving up on themselves. You just have to keep going no matter what — as I like to say, keep on stomping on your obstacles.
The next Disney movie I relate to is 1989’s “The Little Mermaid.” In many ways, I see myself in Ariel since Ariel had the desire to be a human and forget about her life under the sea. Meanwhile, here I am, a 22-year-old woman, wanting to be free from cerebral palsy, wondering what it’s like to step my feet on the sidewalk without having wheels as my legs. Or what my life would be like if I weren’t physically disabled and I was able to explore the world on my own without needing an assistant. If it weren’t for my physical disability, I would be stationed overseas somewhere because I would be serving this country. Then again, my life would be entirely different if I were just “average.” I wouldn’t have had the same opportunities if it weren’t for my disability.
I think Ariel learns the hard way that you are made the way you are for a reason, and that’s the way I look at it too. Yes, cerebral palsy is a pain, but it’s a part of me, and I’m proud to say I’m a mermaid. I wouldn’t change my life for anything, even if I had an evil villain like Ursula come to me and tell me she has the answer to curing my cerebral palsy. I would say “no thanks” because I’m happy with the life I have.
Image via Disney.
Tylia L. Flores is a twenty-eight-year-old born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Despite her condition that affects her mobility, she does not allow it to affect her will and determination to make a difference in the world. Through her many life challenges and obstacles, she discovered her passion for writing. Tylia’s goal in life is to share her stories with the world. In doing so, she hopes to help others with disabilities realize that they, too, have the potential to make their dreams come true. Tylia is not only an author. She’s a radio show personality and a disability activist. Tylia has written about disability-related topics for Yahoo Life, Your Tango, The Mighty, ReadUnwritten.com, Words Between Coasts Project, Wednesday, Spilwords, and Goble Thrive. Worth Living Among her other appearances are Disability on the Spectrum and Why I was Afraid of Sexuality. Previously, Tylia was nominated to Diversabilities list of the most influential Disability Impacts of 2022. Additionally, Tylia holds the position of chairman in the creative director role for the North American Association Of Cerebral Palsy Advocates. She serves as a mentor for the Disability EmpowHer Network as well. Tylia also works for Write It Up Publishing as a sensitivity reader focusing on disability representation. Tylia has also been involved in many movie press releases for Samuel Goldwyn Films Come as you are Piece of me which was the short film directed and written by award winning filmmaker Bruna Cabral as well as the film adaptation of the book Calvin can’t fly by Jenifer Burnes Tylia is also a keynote speaker at 2020’s Cerebral Palsy Awareness conference. She has also been a guest speaker at Northeastern State University Broken Arrow where she talks to college students about disability and inclusion in education. She has also been a guest speaker at Plantation Middle School, where she discussed inclusion and disability with classmates. Tylia is fully certified in Education for All: Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion through Cape Town University. She’s also certified in Understanding Diversity and Inclusion through Purdue University. She’s also certified in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Tylia hosts the Stomping On cerebral Palsy radio show with DJ Ty on Asheville FM with DJ Mouse during the Come On In the Kitchen segment once a month she also helps the staff behind the scenes, help bring awareness to disability awareness and inclusion within the radio broadcasting industry .
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