Humor in Disabilities and Impairments

Abstract

The theme of comedy, humor, laughter, and disability has a long, complex, and uneasy relationship. There are many jokes, narratives, images, and limericks that denigrate the disabled. Sometimes, the affected people have themselves taken to humor for showcasing their experiences, constructing or deconstructing the several stereotypes that are held by unaffected people.Many disability conditions ranging from sensory,physical,and developmental are misunderstood or doubted whether these persons are capable of understanding or producing humor at all.This thematic review covers a bibliography of nearly 75 peer-reviewed published research papers on humor in disability. The coverage extends from the 1980s when deaf humor vis-a-vis sign language was the focus, change in the 1990s to doubts about whether disability conditions like autism are capable of humor production or appreciation at all. The narration concludes that disability humor needs to be further explored as a therapeutic device to debunk stereotypes or stigma and ameliorate the well-being and quality of life of the affected people,their carers as well as professionals working with them.