A Critical Disability Studies Reading of 'Beauty and the Beast': Détournement in Pedagogical Practice

Disney's interpretation of the fairy tale, "Beauty and the Beast," and the decisions made to include or exclude certain key elements of the original plot, provide insight into how ideas about what it means to be human have changed over time. Specifically, a critical disability studies reading of "Beauty and the Beast" brings to light the taken-for-granted category of disability as a social construct, the ever-shifting indicators of an individual's normality/Otherness, and the socio-historical context that results in such distinctions. The intent of this paper is to (1) explain the theoretical framework behind a détournement, or counter-text, I created in order to articulate a critical disability studies reading of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," and (2) describe my experience of presenting this détournement to undergraduate education students, and the implications for incorporating critical disability studies into teacher education programs.