So I have a future fanfiction (not TSAMS) that has a paraplegic. I'm stuck on how to portray her.
So here is the issue: This story involves the main character being suddenly whisked away from her family and becomes trapped with a large group of robots who are in the middle of the war. She grows to like them, but her human supplies are running low, and she keeps getting sick or injured due to their war. (This main character also has super strength and senses. She's also incredibly smart.)
Keep in mind that I was really young when I first wrote this.
My plan for the longest time was for her to invent technology that would allow her mind to enter an empty robotic one. This way, she can share the robot's supplies and stand up to the opposing side. (in this version she keeps her powers)
ORIGINALLY, my plan was for her human body to die, but she gets a new cloned one at the end of the story. I was never happy with that ending. It felt like a cop-out... Remember, I was basically a teenager when I wrote this...
I'm older now, and I shared this story with a friend who immediately pointed out that it was ableist. And I agreed.
So I've changed the story so that she is constantly flipping back and forth between the two bodies. Each have their uses: The human body that is in a wheelchair has super strength and senses, while the robot body is hardier. They both become important to her. And now a big part of her story is understanding that she is both human and robot, and to lose one is just as bad as losing the other. It's about what humanity means to someone who is not a human.
But I wonder if it's still enough.
I'm no longer friends with this person, and even if I was, I wouldn't share this story with them, because, well, they were very hateful and mean-spirited. Any good news was never good enough to them.
So here is my thinking: Does the new version of the story still seem ablest, even with her keeping both bodies?
I even have another version where she wears the robot body like armor, which allows her to walk, and then, due to issues with said armor, THEN begins switching her mind back and forth between the human and robotic body. But that doesn't feel right either.
Just so you know, the reason she is paraplegic isn't just to "limit" her abilities. It's an integral part of her life, and the choices she's made. There is some ironic symbolism to another member of her family, but in the end, this character is her own person.
WOW, that was a lot to write about. So the question basically comes down to... what should I do? I don't want her story to come off as ableist, but at the same time, it's hard not to picture her swapping between bodies, slowly becoming more confident in herself in both forms. I could make it so she's not paraplegic in the first place, but that takes away everything involving her backstory and the choices she's made.
