Using Visual Literacy to Help Adolescents Understand How Images Influence Their Lives

One day when Charlie (a pseudonym) was sitting in his wheelchair he heard several of his peers making mean comments about his looks. Incidents like this occurred often in Charlie's life and liL' typically sat quietly and accepted them. Like many adolescents with physical disabilities, Charlie thought his peers were right. He believed that because he was in a wheelchair and did not look or behave a certain way he deserved to be rejected. Charlie, like the peers who taunted him, let media images of movie stars, models, and athletes determine standards of beauty and ability for him.