Reporting on Disability with Nuance

Here's a pleasant surprise -- a story from the New York Times about disability that tells the tale with the nuance it deserves. No heroes, no victims, no crocodile tears. It's the story of South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, a paralympics athlete who wants to compete in the Olympics. He's an amputee, and uses carbon fiber blades instead of feet to tear up the track.

A quote:

" ... Pistorius is also a searing talent who has begun erasing the lines between abled and disabled, raising philosophical questions: What should an athlete look like? Where should limits be placed on technology to balance fair play with the right to compete? Would the nature of sport be altered if athletes using artificial limbs could run faster or jump higher than the best athletes using their natural limbs?"

The story uses the lens of disability to broaden the discussion about the perpetual pursuit of athletic advantage. Performance enhancing drugs, adaptive devices, and even self-mutilation get consideration here. The headline sums up the conundrum: "An Amputee Sprinter: Is He Disabled or Too-Abled?"