“De simple malade j’étais devenu un handicapé”: Interrogating the Construction of ‘Disability’ in Jean-Dominique Bauby’s Le scaphandre et le papillon

This article explores how Le scaphandre et le papillon combines reflections on life with Locked-In Syndrome and memories from Bauby’s “première vie” to create an evocative depiction of his shift in subject-position from ‘non-disabled’ to ‘disabled’. It argues that his autopathography challenges outdated notions of disability by celebrating its creative and intellectual potential.