equiresthe cyborg body to achieve a standard of equality, parity or even surpassing the capabilitiesof the “normal” subject.

hesuper-crip stereotype, while perhaps framed as inspirational, is actually resented by manydisabled people who find the expectations of overcoming their disabilities far too great andwould prefer to just live their lives

This is precisely to what Gosling refers as the “depersonalizing,identity-stripping effect” that the cyborg body demands as reciprocity for its validatingfunctionality

The government clearly identifies me as dis-abled, but the level of technology with which I am integrated renders my disability largelyinvisible to the general population.

the “Pathfinder” brand foot coupledwith an Alpha liner locking suspension system. The liner is the component of the systemwhere the skin and the prosthesis interface one with another. The Alpha liner surrounds thestump in a layer of mineral-oil-based gel that is gentle on the skin. It is made from thermo-plastic elastomer that adheres to the skin without irritation, in fact it protects the skin fromrashes and other irritations. The liner is fitted with a pin that is inserted into the prosthesisin effect locking the prosthesis to the body. The foot component of the prosthesis is a“Pathfinder” foot, and at the time I used it, it was one of the most advanced prosthetic feeton the market. It simulated a fluid motion from heel-strike to toe-spring and provided themotion of a more natural gait, or movement through the walk cycle. While it was a heavyfoot, its motion made my gait almost indistinguishable from a natural walk cycle. Part ofthat is due to a split-toe design that replicates the kind of lateral movement that the anatomicankle would provide.

medicine’s effort to validate the disabled body

society

“Monsters have always defined the limits of communityin Western imaginations”

This duality is at the core of my analysis, for it is neither villain norsuper-crip, as it is often portrayed in cinema and reflected in society, but something else,something singular and individual.

enhancing the disabled body to conform an ideal form

the “normal” body and its relationship to what is or is not ‘human’ is necessary to contextu-alize a subject such as the cyborg

e resulting understanding of human integration withmachines is analyzed through the perspective of those who must navigate its effects, the disabled personin society

n this way, he isframed by the same stereotype that has been conventionally associated with femininebeauty.

Simulation is a contestedcondition,