Pretty Monsters

“This piece is an exploration of the discrimination faced by people with mental illnesses and disabilities. It chronicles different statements made through centuries against these persons––from the pseudoscientific mental illnesses slaves were diagnosed with, to the phrase Robert Kennedy used to describe an institution in my hometown, to the language in a 2009 Autism Speaks advert. It is a self portrait, yet with a universal message of justice.

The goal of this piece is to bring to light the ableism and sanism that continues to pervade society and to illustrate the impact that language and words have on stigma and attitudes.”

By Madelyn Dawson.