Disabled People on Film and Television

The first section of the entry draws on a British social model understanding of disability and impairment, to frame a brief examination of work on media and disability studies undertaken since the 1980s, focusing on the United Kingdom and the United States in particular. After outlining some of the major policies and initiatives for countering disability discrimination and shaping representational change, the second part of the entry examines 21st-century representations of disabled people on television and in film, exploring issues such as: the employment of disabled actors—male and female; intersections of gender, “race,” and ethnicity within portrayals of disability; the differences between disabled and nondisabled writers and perceptions of “risk” in representation; the role of comedy/satire in challenging ableism; the depiction of particular impairments (e.g., autism, dwarfism, and learning difficulties); and continuing inequalities in representation and employment, including the marginalization of particular groups (particularly people who are not White).