Erzählungen – Erwartungen – Erfahrungen

Surprising experiences with people with intellectual disabilities can make negative mental images conscious and thus open to criticism, for example in professional theater performances and films. This study examines numerous works through three analytical perspectives: 1. Narratives: They form the context that structures and imbues meaning into the perception of people with intellectual disabilities. 2. Expectations: These arise from the prior knowledge of the audience and the structure of the texts. 3. Experiences: These are the result of the cognitive and emotional appropriation of the works by the audience. New mental images of intellectual disabilities are effectively initiated through the disturbance and awareness of hidden prejudices, as well as the offering of alternative images, meaning new experiential possibilities of disability. The works must be aesthetically convincing, expand the participation opportunities of the performers, and lead from a general mental image of disability to an individual mental image of a person with a disability. The task of theater and film analysis lies in highlighting interpretations that facilitate new experiences with intellectual disabilities. The results of the study will ultimately be presented in easy language.