The 2020-2021 season of scripted series has shown an increase in the number of shows that have characters with disabilities. This season has in total around 3.5 percent of series that contain this element. Even though it is an increase from the last season, which was 3.1 percent, is still a very small number regarding how many people live with some form of disability. In the US alone, more than 20% of the population has a disability. In the world, that results in 15% of the total population, which is around 1 billion people.
The increase in diversity in this season’s scripted series is a result of an audience that has become more influential in the past years; people want to see diversity. This new demand for content has impacted all industries, especially the entertainment industry, due to its public nature.
How is disability shown in tv and movies?
There are two ways the disability is most commonly portrayed in films and tv shows. The most common one is that the character has to overcome their disability, and it’s viewed as something bad. The other is that the disability is a part of the character and is not viewed as something they have to defeat. A few iconic movies that deal with characters with disabilities are Forest Gump and Rainman. They became famous for the sensible way they dealt with the characters’ conditions and how it was not something they should try to change.
A Netflix series that has always been an advocate of diversity is Sex Education. This series is a British production that has won the hearts of many people all over the world due to the unapologetic and sensitive way they deal with all topics: racism, homophobia, exploration of sexuality, the dilemmas that teenagers face, etc. The third season of the show aired last September. A character that was already important in season 2 becomes one of the main ones: Isaac.
How Sex Education represents disability?
Isaac is portrayed by the actor George Robinson. Isaac has a spinal cord injury, and so does the actor. The original idea for the character was that he was an amputee. However, once the creators saw George’s audition, they decided to change the role to fit the actor. George suffered an injury while playing rugby when he was only 17 years old. Since then, he has undergone various surgeries and done intensive physical therapy.
One of the main things about the character he plays is that his wheelchair and his disability are just a part of him: it is not the central theme of his character’s arc. He is not seen differently by the other characters and is one of the main love interests of Maeve, played by the French actress Emma Mackey. They have a beautifully shot intimate scene. Plus, it is not impeding the characters in any way, but a chance to explore their sexuality.
Is disability something new to tv shows?
In this percentage, yes. However, Aaron Sorkin has been doing this for a while now: one of the characters from the first season of his drama series The West Wing, the first season aired in 1999, is deaf, and so is the academy award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. Marlee’s character, Joey Lucas, works for polyester and hails for California. She is one of the love interests of one of the main characters. What Sorkin did, creating a deaf character and having a deaf actress play the part, was groundbreaking at the time.
Another great example is from the award-winning show Breaking Bad. In Vince Gilligan’s show the main character son, Walter Jr. played by RJ Mitte has cerebral palsy, and so does the actor. Mitte became an advocate for disabled people, especially the ones that want to work in the industry.
There are, however, not-so-positive cases. The first one that comes to mind – for most people – is the character from the tv series Glee, Artie. He was played by Kevin McHale who is not disabled and therefore is not in a wheelchair like his character. There were a few mixed reviews regarding how they portrayed disability in the show, especially the dream sequences where the character was suddenly able to walk. Another example is from the famous tv series ER. Dr. Kerry Weaver, played by the actress Laura Innes, does not have congenital hip dysplasia.
What are the characters’ story arcs?
An interesting element is that most of the time when the actor is also disabled, the character’s storyline does not revolve around their condition. Instead, they have a complex character arc that has to do with the season storyline. That shouldn’t be everything they are: their disability. The audience craves stories that show us different characters and actors, but that has more to do with the story than their current condition.
Having disabled characters is really important. Studies show how important it is to be able to see yourself when you are watching tv shows and films. Like Viola Davis said in a speech when she won an Emmy “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.” Having characters that have disabilities is incredible, but we need to give actors and actresses who also share this reality the space to be able to bring these stories to life as truthfully as possible.
