Inclusivity and diversity have long been topics of contention in the entertainment industry, particularly in recent years. From the trending hashtag #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 to discussions of the disproportionate frequency of death for LGBTQ+ characters, many marginalized communities have been speaking out about representation on screen and on stage. The representation of disabled characters and the employment of people with disabilities are no exception, but actors and artists with disabilities are making slow but indisputable impacts on the industry.
Increasing visibility onstage and onscreen
Despite the fact that a quarter of Americans have a disability, depictions of disability onscreen or onstage have historically been infrequent and inaccurate, but a study this year shows promise.
Nielsen’s study shows that the volume of media inclusive of disability in the last ten years has increased by over 175% compared to the previous decade. Despite the increase in portrayals, audiences who have disabilities often say depictions are unrealistic and many are working to fix that themselves.
The Netflix original series “Special” premiered in 2019 on the streaming service. Created by and starring Ryan O’Connell, the comedy-drama series is based on his own life as a gay man with cerebral palsy. After writing, O’Connell had difficulty getting the show produced: six networks passed on it before Netflix picked it up, though he wasn’t surprised. “I think Hollywood is largely not interested in disabled people because they don’t view us as ‘sexy’ or ‘cool.’” Despite the initial difficulty, the show was met with generally positive reviews and ran for two seasons.
Increasing authentic representation
If one looks at well-known disabled characters in film, television, and theatre, a vast majority of them have been played by abled actors, but authentic casting is becoming more and more common.
Actor Mickey Rowe made waves in 2017 when he played the lead character in the play, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” Though the play was first staged in 2012 and won a Tony award for Best Play in 2015, Rowe was the first openly autistic actor to portray Christopher, the autistic main character. “One of the most exciting parts of my ‘Curious Incident’ journey,” said Rowe, “was hearing from other directors at other theaters who said that because of my performance in the show and the press that it got, they felt confident enough to cast actors with disabilities in their production.”
In the British comedy-drama series “Sex Education,” a teenager helps friends with personal relationships, often taking cues from his sex therapist mother. Now in its third season, the show has expanded its cast to include disabled, queer, and gender-nonconforming characters and examines those identities in the context of romantic or sexual relationships. Not only are the series’ characters diverse, but its cast reflects that too.
Both actor George Robinson and his character Isaac use a wheelchair, and Robinson has led conversations to ensure details were true to both the character and his own experience with disability. Show creator Laurie Nunn explained of the collaboration, “Obviously, he’s playing a character, but it’s making sure that it feels authentic and true to his experience as a disabled actor.”
Read more: Virtual Theatre and its Potential for the Disability Community.
Increasing inclusivity in the industry
Off camera and off stage, the drive for improving accessibility has been growing and making progress beyond acting and performing.
Awards shows are a public moment for the industry to celebrate its work, but they often leave their disabled community behind. Perhaps the best example is the inclusion of a ramp to the stage during ceremonies. The Tony awards drew criticism in 2019 when they neglected to have a ramp, despite the fact that Ali Stroker, an actress, and wheelchair user, was nominated and even favored to win before the ceremony. Stroker won Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in “Oklahoma!” but had to wait backstage rather than in the audience. Later, when she and the rest of her cast won Best Revival, she was unable to join her cast onstage.
Perhaps the Academy Award organizers later remembered the criticism when the documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” was nominated earlier this year, as its co-director James LeBrecht uses a wheelchair. For the first time, the Oscars stage had a visible ramp to the stage.
LeBrecht, also a disability rights activist, later tweeted to acknowledge the ceremony’s accessibility efforts: “While our film didn’t win Best Documentary Feature, we are proud of the momentum that Crip Camp has created for a push towards disability inclusion. From tonight’s historic accessible stage to the broadcast’s innovative captioning, it’s clear disability inclusion is here to stay.”
Despite his optimism, LeBrecht tried to work with the Primetime Emmy Awards in September to ensure accommodations, but the process wasn’t as easy or successful. A ramp was built but hidden behind the stage. Though success with accessibility was ultimately a mixed bag this year at the major awards shows, it stands as a reminder that progress is not always linear, but also that the disabled community and its allies persist in their drive nevertheless.
Earlier this year, an open letter to Hollywood studios and production companies urged a change in treatment of disability both on and off-screen. Spearheaded by Keeley Cat-Wells, the founder and CEO of C-Talent, an agency that represents disabled artists and athletes, the letter was signed by over eighty members of the industry, including Amy Poehler and Naomie Harris. In it, they discussed discrimination against disabled actors and called for Hollywood studios to work towards more authentic, accurate portrayals of people with disabilities. They additionally asked studios to hire disability officers “not just to prevent on-screen mistakes, but to advance the seamless integration of the disabled community in all areas of an organization and make fundamental changes to dated practices based around the Social Model of Disability.”
Whether the open letter sees results or if disability officers are hired, we have yet to find out but the entertainment industry has still taken huge strides, largely due to the efforts of disabled artists themselves within the industry.
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