How Not to be Normal – A Confessions of A Disabled Class Clown

Hi, my name is James Barniker. At three, I began my journey with disabilities. Throughout my whole life, starting with almost dying on an operating table, because I was a premature child, my disabilities were (at that time) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyscalculia, seizure disorder, and a host of other disabilities. During my stay in the hospital, I was in tubes, in the neonatal unit, and receiving around-the-clock treatment until I was strong enough to be taken home with my mother.

However, after my attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was diagnosed at seven, it led me to be on Ritalin and Concerta when I entered school, both with semi-positive results. Ritalin and Concerta will make you develop tough skin and not be averse to dealing with the neurotypical community. In primary and middle school, from seven to fourteen, I spent most of my time being mentally and physically abused in private schools. Additionally, I went through various seizure episodes while at school. 

When I was in college, I didn’t know I had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. Nobody told me, so I assumed stimming and not remembering lines was normal when rehearsing at school. I was ashamed of being myself, so I spent half my life masking for other people’s amusement to cope with a seriously unknowingly treatable invisible illness/disability. Shortly after, in 2017, seeing various changes sparked me to seek the truth about my condition and ensure it was properly handled. A word of advice to all parents be very vigilant about the ingredients in medication administered to your child due to various negative effects. The reason I address this is because of my own medication experience. 

In my case, I was a latch-key kid who was an only child who loved theater and began acting at age seven. People have asked me “What’s your origin story?”, and various questions of that sort. I couldn’t give a definitive answer. When I was at school, I was also involved in a community theater program called Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance. While attending the theatrical arts, I began writing plays at age fourteen. This was because of the lack of representation of disabled characters in theater. I think I was the only disabled student there, nobody understood, unlike many others. In a way, it served as a testing ground. I started acting out of wanting to communicate and found that I made people laugh because it was natural to me. I never knew if they laughed at me or with me. I’ve been naturally funny with a dry wit since I could remember. I was addicted to obsessively watching and mimicking various media content. This included short-form jokes and comedians I shouldn’t have watched at a young age, and I discovered an affinity for British comedies. It was a valuable education for a budding young comedian like me who just wanted to communicate. 

Here’s a sample of my short jokes:

Why did the duck and the hunter to cross the road simultaneously?

The hunter ran to get his gun, and the duck left to get insurance.

I graduated high school. Many challenged the idea of making it. My education included two colleges, a very difficult elementary and middle school, and a high school that saved my life.

At St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, New York, I majored in communications with a concentration in playwriting and acting. I had an IEP that stated I could use speech-to-text programs for all my academic work. Not only that, but I was able to deliver. I think I drove my scribes nuts. They confirmed I was fine. I’m convinced I drove them insane. During those years at St. Francis, I received interview calls from National Public Radio (NPR) and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) for interviews about how my disability related to my playwriting and survival stories. I was the youngest student playwright within the communications group at St. Francis College to receive the honor.

Shortly after I started to actively get involved as a satirist, public speaker, podcaster, and disability rights activist. In tandem, I got into comedy and created a podcast called The Satirically Challenged Show. The Satirically Challenged Show’s mission is to educate people on disability news. I wanted to make a program where people could laugh and think at the same time. My goal is to create a world where people with disabilities can express themselves through advocacy and humor. How to put your money where your mouth is in disability news? This features an all-disabled crew of writers and cast. The formula I am not going to give away is meant to destroy the idea or make the universal excuse that “everyone is disabled in some way.”  

Some of the shows I love deal with adversity and inclusion are Boy Meets World, The Big Bang Theory, and In Living Color all because of diversity. These shows entertain me. Each show discussed disabilities, individuality, and satire in a relatable comedic fashion.

Presently, I am a member of Lights! Camera! Access! and the Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) Newsletter/Marketing Team. Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to produce professional work. This is the main reason I joined Lights! Camera! Access! (LCA) I wanted to further my career and empower others. In the fall of 2022, I participated in the public speaking campaign of Bender Leadership Academy #NOTASHAMED, which raises awareness of invisible disabilities in entertainment. 

The most helpful advice I can give people is to start writing your own stories and believe in yourself. All it takes is a pen and paper and a lot of people to believe you can do it. I never intended to make history by doing what I’m doing. Instead, it just happens because I do what I do, and I do my very best at what I do. Go make your history. Do it with a purpose because life moves fast. Get a helmet. Please don’t fall off. If you do, get back up and keep going.