Why London model Jessica Ping-Wild, born with one arm and leg, wants an 'inspiration porn' crackdown

Jessica told ITV News why she felt it was time to eradicate "inspiration porn".

A London model born with a condition so rare it only affects 60 people worldwide said she wants to normalise disabilities and crackdown on what she called "inspiration porn".

Jessica Ping-Wild, who has featured in fashion shows and in Vogue magazine, told ITV News disabled people rarely get the same opportunities to share their "authentic stories".

The 25-year-old was born with CHILD syndrome which causes limb underdevelopment and inflamed skin.

She moved to London from the United States where she met her husband and found an agency that represents people with disabilities.

'Stereotype enhancing'

"I don’t think disabled people get the same opportunities to share their authentic stories," Jessica said.

"I still see it. Things tend to get swayed down a stereotype enhancing route where it’s all about 'inspiration porn' or making a motivational spectacle of the disabled person, instead of looking at the talent, work and actual story.

"It will take a long time to eradicate 'inspiration porn' because it’s placed in fear, and also trying to view disability from an able body perspective, trying to make it as palatable to non-disabled people as possible.

"Interviewers need to take the authenticity from the person they’re talking to."

Jessica took part in her first catwalk fashion show shortly after moving to the UK and was subsequently invited to London Fashion Week by designer, Sarah Regensburger.

In addition to Vogue Jessica has also featured in Billboard, USA today and Flewid magazine and come a long way from the early fears she had in life.

She added: "As I got alder to the age between 16 and 18 it [my disability] became all consuming where I thought I wasn’t capable of doing a whole lot of things.

"It could really get to me in a lot of harmful ways. I started questioning my friends and asking ‘do you think I’ll ever get married’, etc… and they said of course I will.

"And I had a strong core group of friends and it felt biased because they had to stay that because they were my friends.

"Because I had no role models and there was no media coverage or stories told on TV or in magazines about somebody visibly different living an ordinary life I didn’t think that was possible.

"I’d never seen it before."

Tap below to watch full video report by Daniel Henry

Jessica also runs a lifestyle blog, called The Rolling Explorer and is an online content creator which she hopes will spread her message about disability.

"As a content creator I can do what I do from anywhere. And I love London! I studied here, loved it then - loved it now," she said.

"I started a blog when I moved here but then it was just a passion project and I wasn’t making money from it.

"But as it began to grow I realised how important it was to me.

"And I found it hard to get a job in the UK as a physically disabled person… and officer that were wheelchair accessible."

"I can’t speak for every job in London and maybe I was going to the wrong places," Jessica added.

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