Differently Abled Characters: What it means for my brother

When we learned the term symbolic annihilation, I thought of my younger brother, Evan. Evan was born with spina bifida, and is paralyzed from his hips down. Years ago we were watching television and he asked me why there was no one like him on screen, meaning no one in a wheelchair. I thought more about the portrayal of differently abled people in the media since then, and came across a recent article from Disability Scoop that said the 2018-2019 season accounts for 18 regularly-appearing characters with disabilities, making up 2.1 total percent. The report was released Thursday from GLAAD, who looked “at 857 characters expected to appear on scripted prime-time shows broadcast on ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX and NBC.”

Nonetheless, the increase only amounts to a few recurring characters from last year. Yes, I understand the progress made, but I also want to apply this to symbolic annihilation because social groups that lack power are ignored and their absence subtly implies they do not exist. I think there needs to be a better representation of both physical and mental disabilities in the media. I may be biased. My life has been surrounded by differently abled children, whether it be at the Special Olympics, challengers baseball leagues or summer camps. I only say that because I found that I notice these things more, and regular media consumers may not even give it a thought. I also have problems with the inevitable caricatures of disabled characters and how non-disabled actors and actresses play them. It always goes back to fabricated lived experiences. I think consumers need to realize this before any significant progress can be made.