Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Disability Representation in Media and Entertainment
The increasing visibility of individuals with disabilities in media and entertainment is a vital step toward inclusivity and diversity. This shift challenges longstanding stereotypes and provides a more authentic portrayal of society.
Historically, representation of people with disabilities has been scarce and often fraught with misconceptions. Media often portray them as objects of pity or as inspirational solely due to their disabilities.
However, recent years have witnessed a notable change. There’s a growing presence of characters with disabilities across various media platforms, reflecting a broader commitment to diversity.
This progress is essential for creating an understanding and empathy for people with disabilities. It breaks down societal barriers and empowers individuals with disabilities by respectfully showcasing their experiences.
The history of disability representation in media
Early portrayals of individuals with disabilities in the media often fell into limited and stereotypical categories. It emphasized their disabilities in ways that were either pitiable or menacing.
Let’s look at a few examples.
Of Mice and Men (1939)
In this film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, the character Lennie Small, who has an intellectual disability, is portrayed in a sympathetic yet tragic light. While not villainous, Lennie’s portrayal reinforces the idea of dependency and tragedy being inherently linked to disability.
The movie ends with his friend George shooting Lennie because George thinks that Lennie will do more bad stuff.
Dr. No (1962)
The James Bond villain, Julius No, has prosthetic hands. He is an example of how characters with physical disabilities were often shown as evil or bitter in movies. This portrayal highlights another negative stereotype about disabilities.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
This film features a character who, after an accident, becomes physically disabled. The portrayal is deeply entangled with themes of dependency, madness, and pity.
It lacks the nuanced portrayal that represents the character’s disability outside of a tragic or horrific narrative.
The Miracle Worker (1962)
While this film is celebrated for portraying Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, it also typifies a kind of inspirational narrative that focuses on disability primarily through the lens of overcoming adversity. Such portrayals, while positive, can still simplify the complexity of living with a disability, reducing it to a narrative of triumph over tragedy.
These early portrayals often lacked depth and didn’t show the full humanity of characters with disabilities, instead using their disabilities as shorthand for character traits or plot devices.
Crucially, actors typically played these roles without disabilities, missing the opportunity for authentic representation.
Key moments that marked a change in disability representation
As we entered the late 20th and early 21st century, the creative storytelling of people with disabilities finally took a turn for the better.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 spurred increased awareness and advocacy for inclusivity — and the media took note.
In the early 2000s, the portrayal of disability in television shows and films improved as they began featuring characters with disabilities in more prominent and positive roles.
The result? It reflects a societal shift toward better representation. Some notable examples include:
Speechless
This TV comedy series centers on the DiMeo family, particularly focusing on JJ, a son with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair. The show explores everyday family dynamics, school, and social issues while integrating disability inclusion themes.
Notably, the actor portraying JJ, Micah Fowler, is disabled. Hiring him as the lead actor lends authenticity to the role. This was a significant step forward in representing individuals with disabilities in the media.
The Fundamentals of Caring
This film presents a narrative around Trevor, a young man who uses a power wheelchair.
The plot follows his journey of self-discovery and adventure when he embarks on a road trip with his caregiver, highlighting the experiences and challenges faced by young people with disabilities.
While the film was critiqued for casting a non-disabled actor in a disabled role, it still marked an attempt to dive deeper into the lives of individuals with disabilities.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
A unique film that features Zack Gottsagen, a disabled character with Down syndrome, in a leading role. The story revolves around the friendship between two men, one with Down syndrome, showcasing a narrative of mutual respect and understanding rather than pity or exploitation.
Gottsagen’s performance, particularly, was celebrated for bringing visibility and representation to actors with Down syndrome in Hollywood.
These media representations are very important. They’ve helped people realize how important representation is in the entertainment industry. This has changed how stories are told and who gets to tell them.
Now, we’re moving towards a media that better represents people with disabilities.
Social media’s influence on disabled representation
The rise of social media has empowered people with disabilities to share their stories and original content on multiple social media platforms. Some have become Instagram influencers and YouTubers, and they’ve achieved great popularity.
The media industry should tap into these authentic voices on social media that offer invaluable perspectives that can help ensure accurate and respectful representation in movies and television. The same is true for email communication as well, where not only is authenticity important but also using SFP record checker to secure sensitive data.
“Hire other disabled people in front of and behind the camera because you and whatever projects you’ve worked on will be better for having done so.” - Selma Blair, Actor, Author, Advocate
As the media industry seeks to produce more inclusive and representative content, it can look to social media as a resource for discovering emerging talent and diverse narratives.
The entertainment industry can create better representations of disability by:
Listening to feedback from the disability community on social media.
Hiring actors, writers, and consultants with disabilities.
Working with disabled content creators.
This will help the industry create more accurate, respectful, and impactful representations of disability.
What role can the consumer play in disabled representation?
By being mindful and advocating for genuine and respectful portrayals of people with disabilities, audiences can contribute to the improvement of their representation in the media.
By engaging with and promoting films, TV shows, and other media that involve people with disabilities in their creation, viewers contribute to the demand for inclusive content.
Feedback, social media engagement, and support for creators who prioritize accurate representation can also drive industry change.
Audiences can also educate themselves about disability issues, starting with the people in their circle of family and friends, challenging stereotypes, and calling out misrepresentation.
Wrapping up
While the representation of people with disabilities in the media has improved, there’s always room for more growth.
The disability community itself is diverse, not to mention the particular challenge of portraying hidden disabilities sensitively. The key to deepening this progress lies in the authentic and engaged participation of individuals with disabilities throughout the creative process.
When filmmakers, TV producers, and content creators actively involve people with disabilities, they ensure the portrayal is nuanced, respectful, and accurate.
Author bio
Ian David started his career in brick-and-mortar retail management, which quickly included eCommerce and digital marketing as well. He is an avid reader and a self-taught expert in SEO and content marketing. He writes for several publications on a variety of digital marketing topics. Recently, his focus has been on using influencer and affiliate marketing to drive more conversions.