History Main / IgnoreTheDisability

* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}''

-->'''Mr Mackey''': (Talking about the school's dodgeball team) I don't think they have much of a chance, the Denver team always win m'kay.\\
'''Gerald''': Maybe so but I think our boys might have the dead fetus to win-HEART!!\\
'''Sheila''': *Clobbers him* Gerald, keep your damn mouth shut!!

The cast is about to meet an important person with a peculiarity or disability, such as a wooden leg or [[GagNose an extraordinarily large nose]]. One of the cast who is in a position of authority exhorts the others not to comment on the guest's unusual feature, lest the guest [[BerserkButton take it as an insult.]]

* In ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', this applies to the Sixth Doctor's companion Hebe Harrison up to a point, as she has to use a wheelchair but doesn't like being treated as incapable because of her condition. However, she's not so obsessive about the way people treat her because of her disability that she would be offended if someone made a comment that didn't take it into account. An example of this is when Mel told her to run from apparent danger and later apologised for her choice of words; Hebe clarified that she was only offended at the suggestion that she should be afraid, but accepts that in a dangerous situation, Mel can't be expected to remember a more politically correct term.

The cast is about to meet an important person with a peculiarity or disability, such as a wooden leg or an extraordinarily large nose. One of the cast who is in a position of authority exhorts the others not to comment on the guest's unusual feature, lest the guest [[BerserkButton take it as an insult.]]

* PlayedForDrama in ''Manga/InsideMari''. [[spoiler:Mari's mother]] tries her best to ignore [[spoiler:her daughter's]] mental health problems and pass them off as less serious than they are.

* In ''Film/WaynesWorld2'', Wayne and Garth encounter a man with heterochromia, and struggle to avoid mentioning it ("Yes sir, I'll remember to cross the T's and and dot the... uh... lower-case J's.").

* In the first ''Film/TheThinMan'', it becomes increasingly obvious that the family Nick and Nora are serving dinner (for a SummationGathering) are all a little... eccentric. Nora says one of the funniest lines in film: "Waiter, will you please serve the nuts? I mean, will you please serve ''the guests'' the nuts?"

* Defied by Aimee Mullins; at a TED talk she gave, she describes how she was once going to talk to a class of children and she just knew the grownups were going to hush up the kids and insist they not stare at her [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetic legs]] or acknowledge them in any way, which would largely defeat the purpose of her coming to talk. So she made the teachers agree to give her ten minutes with the kids completely unadulterated before the adults were even allowed in the room, so the kids could ask all the questions they wanted. So a little girl asked whether she could get jetpack legs and fly.

->''"Suppose you're carefully warned not to mention Bill Fields' nose. You keep repeating that to yourself 'Don't mention the nose.' The words, eventually, fail to make sense. If you met Fields, you'd probably say, quite unconsciously, 'Hello, Mr. Nose.' See?"''

Compare ForgotTheDisability, FreudianSlipperySlope and ThoughtAversionFailure. May overlap with ThinksOfSomethingSmartSaysSomethingStupid if the character is mentally reminding themself to not mention some awkward topic, only to blurt it out as soon as they open their mouth.

* In ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'', this applies to the Sixth Doctor's companion Hebe Harrison up to a point, as she has to use a wheelchair but doesn't like being treated as incapable because of her condition. However, she's not so obsessive about the way people treat her because of her disability that she would be offended if someone made a comment that didn't take it into account. An example of this is when Mel told her to run from apparent danger and later apologised for her choice of words; Hebe clarified that she was only offended at the suggestion that she should be afraid, but accepts that in a dangerous situation Mel can't be expected to remember a more politically correct term.

* [[http://www.blap.com/joke.php?query=176 This joke]] tells of a man who lost both ears in an accident and use the insurance money to start a computer company. After realizing that he doesn't know how to run such a company, he sets out to hire someone who can. Three interviewees are brought in for the position. The first is impressive, but the man asks him if he notices anything about him and dismisses him when he mentions his lack of ears. The second is just as impressive, but the man asks her if she notices anything about him and dismisses her when she mentions he has no ears. The third is impressive as well and the man asks him if he notices anything about him. The interviewee says that he wears contacts. The man is thankful and asks how he knew that. The interviewee says he can't wear glasses because he has no ears.

** On an episode of ''The Golden Girls''. Rose brings her date home and he turns out to be a little person. Blanche and Dorothy are both extremely uncomfortable about this, but decide to conceal that fact out of friendship. Blanche comes out of the kitchen and offers Rose's date a plate of hors d'oeuvres by saying "Shrimp?" then turns tail and walks rapidly right back into the kitchen. It doesn't stop there: Shortly thereafter Dorothy announces -- ''very'' reluctantly -- that she is serving "short ribs" for dinner.

* Before Wrestling/JillianHall become a HollywoodToneDeaf singer she was MNM's publicist. In her first appearance Wrestling/{{Melina}} told M and [[Wrestling/JohnMorrison N]] that Jillian had a mole on her face and not to mention it. Jillian comes in and we see her only from profile, and we see MNM stare at the mole - but they successfully refrain from saying anything. It is revealed later in the episode that the mole covers most of the left side of her face. Later the Wrestling/{{Boogeyman}} ate it off her face.

* Hanyuu from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' was born with horns. [[spoiler:When she's a human]] no one mentions her horns (except for Takano in a plot-relevant scene) due to this. People either think they're hair accessories, like them, or try to avoid commenting on them.

** In one episode, Brian warns Stewie not to say anything about Tom Tucker's son's facial deformity (it's upside down). While they are talking, Brian inadvertently says "This whole thing has really just turned Chris' life [[FreudianSlip upside-down face]].", to which Stewie [[DeathGlare sloooowly turns to glare at a mortified Brian.]] Subverted when Tom Tucker doesn't take offense at the comment, or even seem to notice. "It's no problem of mine if it's turned his life upside-down face."

-->'''Kim:''' RON! What do you think you're you doing?\\

* Not a disability exactly, but Hanyuu from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' was born with horns. [[spoiler:When she's a human]] no one mentions her horns (except for Takano in a plot-relevant scene) due to this. People either thinks they're hair accessories, like them, or try to avoid commenting on them.