Christine Ha: The Exhausting Realities Of Being Perceived As Either A Burden Or An Inspiration As A Disabled Person – And The Difficulties A Disabled Person Faces Navigating Life In An Ableist Society

In my previous blog entry, I talked heavily about assassinated conservative politician Charlie Kirk’s very outdated views on just about EVERYthing and EVERYone. This includes his outdated views on people with disabilities. He put an emphasis on the “DIS” in the word “disabled” and questioned why they should be eligible for government assistance benefits. As I was preparing my write-up on Kirk, I was instantly reminded of Christine Ha. She’s a chef, writer and TV host. She’s also the first blind contestant of MasterChef and the winner of its third season in 2012.

Judge Joe Bastianich, restaurateur, author and television personality, said of Ha following her win, ‘Midway through this year’s competition, my money would not have been on Christine for the win – and not just because of her disability – because she just didn’t come across as the typical frontrunner. With Christine, slow and steady won the race. She subtly climbed her way to the top by performing consistently well, triumphing over her own self-doubt, all the while maintaining her signature grace and integrity. It was thrilling to watch. And I can say with absolute confidence there was no one more deserving.’

Season 4 of MasterChef saw Ha come back as a guest judge, and she had the contestants try cooking blindfolded to get a feel of what it felt like to be in her shoes. None of the contestants felt they had what it took to cook without being able to see their ingredients. They all had a newfound respect for her. It was a segment that brought humour, enthusiasm, empathy, emotion, and authenticity to a cause that’s so important to share. Not many people even try to be in someone else’s shoes, particularly when that someone is disabled. When they do, they realize how rough life can actually.

Ha’s success didn’t stop at MasterChef. She moved on by authoring a New York Times-bestselling cookbook, opening her own Houston restaurants (The Blind Goat and Xin Chao), and becoming a prominent disability advocate and culinary diplomat. She received the Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award and has delivered TEDx talks and spoken at the United Nations. To break down Ha’s culinary achievements more thoroughly:

Culinary and professional achievements

• Winning MasterChef: Became the first blind contestant to win MasterChef season 3 in 2012.

• Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Authored a New York Times best-selling cookbook.

• Restaurant owner: Opened Houston restaurants, including The Blind Goat, which was a James Beard semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant, and Xin Chao. Her third restaurant, Stuffed Belly, opened in 2023.

• James Beard recognition: Named a James Beard finalist for Best Chef, Texas, in 2022 and a semi-finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2023 for her former restaurant, Xin Chào.

• Media work: Co-hosted the Canadian cooking show Four Senses and was a judge on MasterChef Vietnam. She was also an executive producer for the PBS docuseries Blind Love.

In a more recent interview, Ha was asked how she navigated life and career as a chef as a woman with a disability, to which she answered, ‘There are various people with different challenges and disabilities. Many people look to me as someone they can say, oh, she’s also visually impaired, and she was able to do that. When you find someone that reveals how human they are, you relate to that, and then you think “I can do that too.” They’ve done great things, but they’re also human. They also laugh. They also feel sadness. They also go through pain and suffering. My disability is just a part of me, but it makes me kind of this interesting character that adds more color and depth to my life, and I’m hoping that that will inspire somebody else, because other people have been able to live their life by example for me.’

Ha is an amazing cook, but not despite her disability, but rather with her disability. She was just a contestant on a cooking show that just happened to have a disability. I wish more people could see it that way. If they did, people with disabilities would’ve been so much better off. Because they don’t, there are two, even three, ways others see people with disabilities – as less than and unworthy or as an inspiration. Being seen in either one of those ways is absolutely exhausting. In hindsight, both perceptions are rooted in ableism (discrimination and social prejudice), which creates a constant psychological burden of managing others’ misplaced expectations and stereotypes instead of simply living their lives as complex human beings. To break it down more thoroughly:

The Burden of Being Viewed as “Less Than”

The perception of being “less than” stems from societal ableism, which devalues disabled individuals and limits their perceived potential. This results in several exhausting experiences: 

• Systemic Barriers: Disabled people frequently encounter a “rigmarole of tasks” just to access basic inclusion, such as fighting for accommodations or dealing with unreliable accessibility equipment. The constant effort required to navigate an inaccessible world (known as disability fatigue or burnout) is mentally and physically draining.

• Microaggressions and Stigma: Daily life involves encountering subtle (or overt) insults and biases, like being spoken to in a childlike manner, assumed to lack intellect, or having their symptoms doubted or dismissed. These experiences lead to anger, frustration, and lower self-esteem.

• Internalized Ableism: The constant barrage of negative messages can lead to internalizing the idea that they are less capable, resulting in shame and self-doubt. This pressure can make it difficult to ask for help or accommodations for fear of confirming others’ biases.

• Pressure to “Overcome”: Society often emphasizes “overcoming” disability, as if the condition itself is a personal failing rather than a natural part of human diversity. This creates pressure to always seem “strong” or “brave” and discourages acknowledging genuine struggles. 

The Exhaustion of Being “Inspirational”

The “inspirational” label, when applied simply for existing or performing everyday tasks, is often referred to as “inspiration porn” by the disability community (a term coined by activist Stella Young). This is exhausting because: 

• It’s Condescending: It implies that a disabled person’s life is so inherently tragic that any normal accomplishment (going to work, raising a family, getting groceries) is an extraordinary, heroic feat. This patronizing attitude is based on low expectations.

• It Centers Non-Disabled Feelings: The primary purpose of “inspiration porn” is often to make non-disabled people feel better about their own lives (“If they can do it, what’s my excuse?”) rather than celebrating the disabled person’s achievements for their own sake.

• It Objectifies and Dehumanizes: It reduces a complex individual with a full range of emotions, talents, and flaws to a one-dimensional symbol or a “cardboard cutout” for others’ emotional satisfaction.

• It Shifts Focus from Systemic Issues: By highlighting individual “triumph,” it distracts from the real, systemic issues that create hardship, such as lack of accessibility, inadequate support systems, and discrimination in employment and housing.

• It Creates Pressure to Perform: The label creates the burden of having to be constantly positive and exceptional to be valued by society. This expectation of perfection can lead to burnout and mental health challenges when a person inevitably has difficult days or simply wants to be average. 

The combined experience of being perceived as simultaneously inferior and superhuman for the same aspects of their existence creates a constant psychological and emotional strain. Disabled individuals simply want to be seen as people, with their own unique experiences, talents, and challenges, not as a source of pity or an object of inspiration. 

Charlie Kirk, in his views on people with disabilities, questioned why they needed government assistance. In his argument, he put an emphasis on the “DIS” in the word “disabled”. This in itself is what’s wrong with society. If the world saw disabled people as equals, maybe they wouldn’t need government assistance programs. Let it be known that being disabled is extremely expensive.

If you consider a disability such as mine, cerebral palsy, someone needing a wheelchair can spend between $200 and $400 for a used wheelchair. A brand new wheelchair can cost between $500 and $1,500. Something like getting a driver’s licence can get costly too. An assessment just to get to understand what adjustments are needed to be made to a car to ensure safety could cost $700; that’s in 2012 when I did it. Then there’s the actual adjustment needed to be made that could cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Once the adjustments are made, the car won’t be able to be sold.

Living with a chronic illness can also be costly. I’ll never forget a moment where I was in line to get my anti-seizure medication. A woman ahead of me was on the verge of tears because her total amount to pay for her medication was $1,000. It was an amount that she obviously couldn’t afford. She called her husband, who told her to get the medication and that they’d cancel their vacation plans. It was just such a heartbreaking event to have witnessed. A woman’s life was dependent on the medication she was taking. Without this medication, she wasn’t able to get through her days like a ‘normal’, able-bodied person. Even as both she and her husband were working and having benefits to support them financially, they had to choose between affording her medication and their family vacation. It was just so sad…

Autism is another expensive disorder to navigate, especially when you’re a parent of an autistic child. Autism isn’t the type of disorder where one size fits all. It’s a spectrum, and no case is the same. That’s why it’s such a complicated thing for any parent to understand and navigate through. Not just financially. From a financial standpoint, having a child with an autism diagnosis can be INSANELY stressful. My son, for example, is a high-functioning autistic. I just had a meeting with an ABA specialist who recommended he be given 6 one hour sessions a week costing $60 an hour. We also went to see other ABA specialists who charge up to $250 an hour. We also see a speech pathologist once a week costing $125 an hour. And finally, we take him to extracurricular activities costing $80 per 45 minutes. This is thousands and thousands of dollars per year already for a high functioning autistic child. I can’t even imagine what parents of low(er) functioning autistic children go through. One thing that’s for sure is that my heart is with them. On top of it all, older children and adults who are autistic might need medication and therapy to navigate normal (daily) lives, which again, can cost an arm and a leg.

And if we look at someone like Christine Ha, an individual who’s blind, the cost of living can be mine too much to bear too, and it’s due to expenses for assistive technology and specialized equipment, like braille displays and screen readers, which often have a markup. There are also additional living costs such as personal care, home modifications, and more expensive transportation options due to limited access to public transit. In addition, a lack of employment opportunities can lead to lower earning potential, and health-related costs, including the need for more frequent or complex medical care, also contribute to the financial burden. To break it down more thoroughly:

Technology and equipment

• Assistive devices: Many essential tools, like braille displays, specialized software, and adaptive computer equipment, are more expensive than their sighted counterparts.

• Mobility aids: While standard equipment can be less costly, high-quality, ergonomic devices like power wheelchairs can cost thousands of dollars and require regular maintenance.

• Braille materials: Producing braille is more expensive than standard printing, and the tools needed, such as slates and styluses, cost more than pens and pencils.

• Talking and braille appliances: Many household items, like scales and blood pressure cuffs, are more expensive when made with added features for a blind user. 

Daily living and transportation

• Transportation: People with blindness may face higher costs for transportation if they cannot use public transit, relying on expensive taxis or delivery services.

• Home modifications: Some individuals may need to make costly modifications to their homes for increased accessibility.

• Personal care: Costs for services like cleaning or personal assistance may increase for those who need more help.

• Groceries and food: Some may need to purchase more prepared foods or pay for grocery delivery services. 

Employment and healthcare

• Employment challenges: Finding and maintaining gainful employment can be more difficult, potentially leading to a lower income.

• Health costs: Individuals with visual impairments may experience higher healthcare costs, as their conditions can lead to other related health issues.

• Caregiver costs: The burden on caregivers can result in lost wages, which is an indirect cost for the visually impaired individual or their family. 

It’s hard to live in a world where being disabled isn’t something that’s seen ‘normal’. We live in a world where it almost feels like it’s inhumane to be disabled; as if it’s a crime of some sort. We live in a world where disabled people have to adapt to the rules of society. Society, in turn, doesn’t accept disabled people just as they are. Society doesn’t accept that a disability, no matter what it is, doesn’t erase someone’s skill, ambition, or output. It only makes them better. It makes them work harder. It makes them more determined.

God himself said, ‘But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you.’ And nevertheless, Charlie Kirk, and others like him, saw disabled people as ‘too much’. The world doesn’t understand people who are ‘different’. The world doesn’t want to understand people who are ‘different’. It doesn’t try to. Disability is not inability, and that’s the one most crucial thing that society tends to forget. We have people like Charlie Kirk, now his widow Erika on his behalf, telling the entire world completely the opposite. To oppose Kirk’s viewpoint on the matter of disability, Illinois Department of Human Services provided a guide as to how to treat someone who’s disabled. They gave 4 general etiquette tips. These were:

• Practice the Golden Rule. Treat everyone as you would like to be treated.

• Always ask before giving assistance. Just because a person has a disability, they don’t necessarily need or want your assistance.

• Think Before You Speak.

• Avoid Showing Pity or Being Patronizing.

These 4 etiquettes aren’t rocket science. It shouldn’t be, anyway. Most of the time, however, it is. Most of the time, when people find out I have a disability, it almost seems like they forget that I’m still the same person they initially met and got to know. Almost immediately, they start treating me as if I need to be saved; as if I need to be changed or fixed. They start feeling sorry for me and assuming I ALWAYS need help. One woman who was my friend even asked me if I needed help putting on my lipstick. That was the exact moment she stopped being my friend.

They say God makes no mistakes, so why did God let people have disabilities? Religious and theological explanations for why God allows disabilities vary, but common themes include that it is a consequence of a “broken world,” an opportunity for individuals and communities to show love and compassion, and a means for God’s strength to be revealed through weakness. Some belief systems also suggest disabilities are due to past-life karma or a divine test of patience and faith for the individual and their family. To break it down more thoroughly:

Consequences of a “broken world” 

• Some faiths believe that the world is not in its original perfect state and this brokenness, which can be caused by human rebellion, manifests in various ways, including disabilities. 

• This view suggests that disabilities are not a reflection of a person’s sin but an inherent part of the human condition in a fallen world. 

A test of faith and strength 

• A common theological perspective is that disability provides an opportunity for individuals to learn to trust in God rather than in themselves. 

• It is believed that God’s strength can be made evident through human weakness, and individuals with disabilities may be used by God for a special purpose. 

• The experience can be a test of patience and contentment for those who are disabled, with the promise of reward from God. 

Opportunity for compassion and love 

• Disabilities can highlight the need for compassion, empathy, and service within a community, reflecting God’s love for the vulnerable. 

• By caring for those with disabilities, people are given an opportunity to express their love and can be blessed for it. 

Display of God’s glory 

• Some theological views suggest that disabilities can serve as a stage for God to display His power and glory through miraculous healing or through His strength operating in a person’s weakness. 

Past lives and karma 

• In some belief systems, like Hinduism, disabilities are attributed to the consequences of actions in a person’s past lives. 

A part of human variation 

• Some modern perspectives view disability as a natural variation of the human experience, a form of neurodiversity rather than a flaw or a problem to be “fixed”.

• This view argues that society should be accepting and welcoming of individuals with disabilities as they are, rather than expecting them to change to conform to society’s norms. 

I’ve accepted the fact that I’m disabled, but we live in such an ableist society that the world hasn’t accepted me in return. Everywhere I go, it seems like I’m viewed as a burden. The narrative is that it’s something that I, and people like me, should just overcome. But the fact of the matter is that it absolutely fucking sucks. It’s not fair that I constantly have to adapt to society but society doesn’t adapt to me. It’s not fair that I feel like I’m a ‘normal’ person that’s capable of anything and everything, but society doesn’t see that in me. Sometimes I’m even angry that I was born with a disability and then developed another one in my adulthood. But then I remember…

My disabilities are what make me who I am. Even though society defines me by them, I know I’m better than that. My disabilities make me better. They make me stronger. They make me wiser. My disabilities are a part of me. They always be, no matter how much it hurts. The world might see them as weaknesses, but in actuality, they’re my strengths. They’re what make me live a full life. I know it might be a hard thing for you, an able-bodied person to imagine, but I’d even go as far as saying that my disabilities are a blessing. They’re my superpower. If you don’t believe me, here’s how Christine Ha proved her disability is HER superpower on MasterChef: