‘Corsets helped me fall in love with my body’: Disabled activist reclaims sexuality and control

Ariella Goichman Garber, a fashion history researcher and activist for disability visibility, shared her experience growing up as a disabled woman. She explained that being disabled can lead to a sense of disconnection from one's body, as it can be a source of discomfort and pain, and we often have no control over it. As someone born with spina bifida, Garber described living with lifelong nerve damage that affected her lower body, including no sensation in her feet and the inability to walk without crutches.

Garber discussed how she came to terms with her body and sexuality. When she realized she was different from other children, she remembered the mid-1990s when wearing a ring fixator on her legs at third grade, making her feel different from her peers. This experience triggered a sense of cynicism and sarcasm about her body, which she embraced. As a teenager, she struggled to fit in with her peers, comparing herself to girls with more balanced and healthy bodies, which further fueled her dissatisfaction.

To cope with her feelings, Garber turned to popular culture, particularly searching for other disabled characters in media. However, she found very few representations of disabled people, even today. Instead, she found inspiration in historical corsets, which she believed gave women the power to reshape their bodies through lacing. She was particularly inspired by Disney's Sleeping Beauty and the corset she wore in the film, which she later discovered had a history of helping women alter their figures.

Garber's journey highlights the importance of representation and reclaiming control over one's body and sexuality, even in the face of disability.