We are used to seeing Disney princesses as beautiful and flawless women, but Arien Smith wanted to send them a message. The series “Royal Service Dogs” tries to raise awareness about the rights of people with disabilities.
Arien is a mental health advocate who aims to raise awareness of the importance of service dogs. He gave each princess in the series a flaw and demonstrated how service dogs can help them cope. “Both a critique of the scarcity of disabled characters and a support for the rights of people with disabilities,” says the artist about his work.
The disabled princesses with their service dogs can be seen in the gallery below.
Cinderella
Cinderella suffers from fibromyalgia, a terrible chronic pain condition. By removing her shoes, the service dog assists her.
Rapunzel
Complex PTSD and Dissociative Identity Disorder are depicted in this artwork. Children with C-PTSD suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (frequently in childhood). Her service dog provides tactile support for relaxing and grounding, which helps her wake up from a severe dissociative state.
Tiana
Tiana is afflicted with Asperger’s Syndrome. Although her small service dog (small dogs are also excellent) is not doing a task in this photograph, tactile reinforcement, stoppage of physically hazardous behaviour, orienting during periods of over-stimulation, and anxiety soothing are all duties that autistic people benefit from.
Belle
Belle suffers from GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Her service dog is practising a blocking posture so she can be alerted if someone approaches her from behind.
The Character Of Sleeping Beauty Is A Work Of Fiction.
Narcolepsy is a condition that affects Sleeping Beauty. After a bout of midday tiredness, the service dog is supporting his head. Narcolepsy is a sleep and arousal disorder caused by a neurological disease.
Pocahontas
