Cripping Ablenationalism’s Love Machine: Disabled Girls and Service Dog Tok

• In Event: Reimagining Disruption in Girl Time and Space

Abstract

This paper explores how disabled girl handlers on service dog TikTok “crip,” or upend and denaturalize, the rehabilitative logic of the service dog. I juxtapose three sites of inquiry: the militarized history of the service dog, sentimental representations of service dogs and disabled girl handlers in popular media culture, and the TikTok videos of disabled girl handlers. In doing so, I trace how the contemporary service dog has become ablenationalism’s “love machine,” and I show how the cultural productions of disabled girls push back against a chrononormative and ableist logic that seeks to define their relationship with their service dog.

Presenter

• Anastasia Todd, University of Kentucky