Something that has always been interesting to me is seeing disabled characters being portrayed on t.v. I am not sure if it is because I remember seeing Geri Jewell on “The Facts of Life” and thinking… there’s someone else with C.P. Then I started thinking about how disabled characters have “matured” over time. What I mean by that is I feel like with each character that is shown on t.v., the characters are made stronger and more independent with the passage of time.
Though the list I am about to share is a small one, I feel like it is representative of how disability has “grown up” in the media’s eyes. I am also going to say, and others will probably agree, that people who are disabled are still very under represented on television and hopefully, in the future, that will change.
Here is my list of people who have brought disability into living rooms everywhere and made the topic more relatable to others:
1. Geri Jewell– She was on the “Facts of Life” and played Blair’s cousin. This was probably one of the first portrayals of disability on t.v. that showed a disabled person being just like everyone else.
2. Marlee Matlin– Most recently, she was a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” but, to me, Marlee Matlin has had many other memorable roles. I know she was in “Children of a Lesser God” and won an Academy Award for her performance in the movie. To me, the fact that she is a person with a disability who has won such a prestigious award, speaks volumes about overcoming society’s stereotypes and everyday barriers in general. My favorite portrayal of hers was in a show called “Picket Fences” where she played a bank robber and then, later, was the mayor. It was a fun role that, again, showed someone with a disability in an everyday kind of person manner.
3. Chris Burke – He played Corky on “Life Goes On”. This is someone with Down Syndrome who was dealing with everyday problems on television. I feel like he helped people realize that people with different types of disabilities could live their life just like anyone else. It also showed that they went through the same things as everyone else even though they live with a disability. When I saw this show, I really felt like people who live with Down Syndrome were being portrayed in a very honest manner.
4. Laura Innes– She was one of the doctors on “ER”. This was the first time I had ever seen a person with a disability actually being a doctor on television. Though I am very aware that there are doctors with disabilities in the “real” world, I felt like this was the first time a disabled character had a position of power.
5. Jim Byrnes– If you have ever caught “Highlander: The Series” in the 90’s, you will remember this character. He was Duncan McLeod’s “watcher”. Though his disability was not the main focus of his character, and it shouldn’t have been, it was very refreshing to see him in a helping capacity.
6. Andrea Friedman– She has been on “Life Goes On” and some other shows as well but, I picked to put her on my list for her role as Katie on “Law and Order: SVU”. Until now, this has to be my favorite character. Not because she was a victim, though I felt like that part of the show could also open the door for some good dialogue about the subject, but because she was pregnant and wanted to be a mom to her baby. I was very happy that her character gave people the opportunity to think of people who are disabled as perspective parents too, something you definitely don’t see too often on television.
The following was certainly a small list but, it is evidence of the wide range of roles that have been developed to show people with a disability on television. What have you learned from seeing people with disabilities being portrayed on television?
Thanks for reading..
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