What is Disability Representation?

Disabled characters in media deserve authentic representation

Disabled people are the largest marginalised group— and the most frequently forgotten. Disability representation in media is far behind every other marginalised group.

Over 16% of the world are disabled, yet only 3.1% of characters on-screen are disabled, and often don’t have speaking or main roles. In children’s television representation is even worse - less than 1%. Recent market research found that Hollywood is leaving billions of dollars on the table by excluding disabled people.

In the US, 1 in 4 people (26%) have a disability and yet only 3.1% of characters on-screen are disabled. In children’s television representation is even worse - less than 1%. What’s worse is that when we do see disabled characters or people on screen, the representation leans into harmful stereotypes. We can and must improve upon this because representation is one of the most powerful forces for change.

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