Disability, Media And Representation: A Topic That Needs To Be Talked About More

I am back with a new blog today to talk about a subject that is quite close to my heart. One of my favourite past times is reading, watching TV and generally just consuming a lot of media over the past 20 years or so, but something that has always been a bit of an annoyance for me has been the lack of disability representation in however many books I may have read, shows I have watched and movies I have seen.

I’m going to get all factual for a minute because I have done quite a bit of research into the topic of this blog and did you that as of 2019 GLAAD it was estimated that only 3.1% of all 879 series regulars in broadcasted programming have disabilities, that equates to roughly 27 characters.

Another statistic I found interesting was that approximately over 95% of disabled characters are played by non-disabled actors and actresses. I find this interesting as I follow quite a few disabled people on Instagram who are interested in a career in the arts or acting. While I believe that most portrayals of disability in the area of tv and media are quite positive, I love learning/knowing that a actor can fully appreciate a disabled characters story, characteristics, strengths and weakness brings something a lot more genuinely authentic to whatever media I am consuming at the time.

Disabled actors and actresses who portray disabled characters on our screens

I searched the internet to find as many disabled actors as possible, most of these actors have played characters before 2016, which begs the question that of all the progress being made in film and TV, why isn’t disability and or disabled actors included? In an ideal world I would love to see a teen show featuring a disabled main character that had to go through the challenges of life like friendship, love, education, but also how they all fit in with a body or brain that doesn’t quite do what you want. Now here is some disabled actors you may have seen on your screen…

R.J. Mitte—Cerebral Palsy: R.J. Mitte was launched into fame by his role as Walter Jr.—who also has cerebral palsy—on AMC’s critically acclaimed series Breaking Bad. This gave him a platform to raise awareness about CP, an opportunity he has enthusiastically embraced. He tours the country speaking about his experiences, and is a spokesperson for the Inclusion in the Arts and Media of Performers with Disabilities (I AM PWD), as well as for actors with disabilities in the Screen Actors Guild.

Marlee Matlin—Hearing Loss: Marlee Matlin is the only performer with hearing loss to have ever won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her subsequent roles have gained her three Golden Globe nominations (with one win) and four Emmy nominations. She has had roles on popular TV shows such as The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Switched at Birth, and Law and Order: SVU, among many others. She is an active member of the National Association of the Deaf, Easter Seals, and more.

Lauren Potter—Down syndrome: Laruen Potter’s role as Becky on Fox’s hit show Glee began a surge of representation in the media for characters with Down syndrome. Potter’s portrayal of the spunky Becky has garnered much critical acclaim and led to Potter’s appointment to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities in 2011.

Robert David Hall—Amputee: Robert David Hall is well known for his role as Dr. Robbins on CSI, and many viewers would never guess that Hall is a double amputee. Hall lost both his legs as a result of a car crash in 1978. He uses prosthetics. Hall has long been an advocate for performers with disabilities in the Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity, and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists.

Jamie Brewer—Down Syndrome: Jamie Brewer is known for her roles in American Horror Story: Murder House and Coven. She is an active and passionate advocate for Down syndrome awareness and has served on the ARC Governmental Affairs Committee for the State of Texas. She had a big role in changing Texas’ legislative language regarding intellectual disabilities. You can see Brewer in the upcoming season of American Horror Story: Freak Show.

Disabled characters in media and the argument of if they help or hinder disability representation/awareness

To me personally I love nothing more than seeing a disabled character on my screen, till this day I remember how happy I was to watch Artie from Glee dancing around on his wheels, singing without a care in the world, but I also remember learning that the actor wasn’t disabled and my whole view of one of my favourite characters changed for a while. After finding that out I came to a realisation that, yes, disabled characters are important because it brings disability awareness to the masses but how that character and disability is portrayed is the real issue within disability in the media and the representation it gives.

There are some characters that are portrayed beautifully like J.J, who is featured in the superb series called speechless which is featured around a family who deal with the trials and triumphs of having a son who has Cerebral Palsy as well as having quite a chaotic family. Micah Fowler has Cerebral Palsy in real life, not to the degree that his character has it, but it still feels like an authentic and genuine character portrayal.

But it has to be said that most of the time when I see a disabled character in a TV show it always happens to be a side character who is there for comic relief or they have done something “inspirational” that makes the main character look good in some way, as my dad would say its like a saviour complex type of thing.

I don’t want to give all media a bad reputation and actually some of the best disability representation I have seen has come from movies such as Me Before You, The Fundamentals Of Caring, The Theory Of Everything and Wonder, these films all make my heartbreak in different ways but the one thing they do showcase is the real side of disability, especially those disabilities that are degenerative or ones that often end with palliative care, there isn’t always rainbows and sunshine, sometimes all that is left at the end of the day is shear will to survive till the next one.

Books, authors and lack of representation in written media

Unless I specifically search for a book with a disabled character like I did for research for this book, I can’t remember the last time I heard about, let alone read a book featuring a disabled character. I will give certain books and authors merit for trying because some do write books which include characters with autism, ADHD and dyslexia, but where are the books with the teen girl who uses a wheelchair who gets stuck in a love triangle or a series in which a group of kids with physical disabilities get superpowers, that is the kind of thing I would love to see written someday, and in fact it is what makes me want to write on a daily basis. I’d love one day to be able to publish my own books one day that feature strong kickass disabled characters and make the next generation of kids like me feel seen.

I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this blog as much as I loved writing and researching this. I am going to trial doing a new concept at the end of my blogs, I am going to ask a question at the end of each blog post that relates to the topic of the blog and I would love for you to send your answer in the comments below.

QUESTION OF THE BLOG: What is one thing relating to disability in the media that you would like to see in the future?

This is Ebony signing of till next time XOXO