Captain’s Log: Counternarratives as a means of exploring representation of disability and impairment in Star Trek

Abstract

While diversity and inclusive representation of minority groups is understood to be a central tenet of the Star Trek universe, successive iterations of the franchise have been critiqued for the relative scarcity, and challenging nature, of representation of disability and impairment. In this paper, written collaboratively by two academics with disabilities, we draw upon theories of ableism and interest convergence to argue that problematic representation of disability and impairment within the Star Trek universe can be attributed to ensuring that the stories and characters reflect the attitudes about disability held by its dominant audience. We explore this argument through critically reviewing four assumed characters with disabilities from across the Star Trek franchises: Captain Pike, Geordi La Forge, Melora Pazlar, and Riva. Our critical reviews take the form of counternarratives which document our felt experiences of how each of these characters are portrayed on screen. Through our counternarratives, we present an apparent contradiction between the vision and ethos of the Star Trek franchise being of discovery, exploration and social justice, coupled with the perpetuation of disability stereotypes grounded within ableism. In concluding our paper, we argue that if Star Trek wishes to honour its commitment to social justice and discovery, then providing opportunities for people with disabilities to create stories and characters which authentically showcase disability and impairment presents an important opportunity for audience education in terms of making science fiction accessible for all.