Key points:
- Representation of people with disability in the media and TV has come a long way but still has a way to go.
- The stories we tell and share should reflect the diversity of our communities.
- Heartbreak High, This is Going To Be Big, The Healing Powers of Dude and Hardball are among a growing list of films and shows that include authentic characters with disability.
Representation matters. We’re slowly starting to see more characters with disability featured in today’s TV shows and movies. This level of media representation is long overdue and there’s still a long way to go.
Programmers and filmmakers have a duty to represent everyone who are part of our social fabric on our screens, including characters with disability.
Involving actors with disability brings an important perspective into the creation and presentation of stories. It means the stories we watch more accurately reflect the diversity of our communities. And it gives people with disability visibility, which is especially important for young people with disability.
As autistic actor Chloe Hayden comments: “Growing up, I thought that I wasn’t supposed to exist… And it’s because, in the people around me and in the books and the media, both fiction and non-fiction, that I ingested, I never saw anyone like me. Because there wasn’t anyone like me.”
With the help of our friends at Source Kids, we’ve put together a list of great inclusive films and shows that include authentic characters with disability.
Heartbreak High (Netflix).
This reboot of the series follows the students and teachers of Hartley High as they navigate racial tensions in Australia, high school romances, and all sorts of teen angst. Lead character, Quinni, played by autistic actor Chloe Hayden, has been hailed for real autistic representation and boldly addressing stereotypes.
Austin (ABC).
This new comedy series follows 28-year-old Austin, an autistic man meeting his biological father for the first time. Austin is played by autistic actor Michael Theo, who first came to our screens in Love on the Spectrum. It’s a unique show in its depiction of autism and neurodiversity, challenging both Austin’s family, and the audience, to confront and reconsider their assumptions about autistic people.
This is Going To Be Big (ABC iView).
A humorous and heart-warming documentary and coming-of-age story unfolds as we follow a group of teenagers with disability share their dreams and confront challenges while preparing for their first high school musical.
Loop (Disney+).
In this Pixar short animation, “Loop” tells the story of a non-speaking autistic girl, Renee and a chatty boy, Marcus. On a canoe camp they find themselves adrift on a lake, unable to move forward until they find a new way to connect and see the world through each other’s eyes.
Raising Dion (Netflix).
Raising Dion is a sci-fi TV series based on a comic book and short film. It follows Nicole, a single mother raising her son Dion, who develops superhuman abilities after his father’s death. In the show, Dion has ADHD and asthma and his best friend, the sassy Esperanza, is a wheelchair user. Esperanza is played by the young actor and disability advocate Sammi Haney who has osteogenesis imperfecta type III.
The Healing Powers of Dude (Netflix).
This show centres around 11-year-old Noah, who has social anxiety disorder, and his emotional support dog Dude. The show humorously addresses the challenges Noah faces in social situations, particularly at school, and how having an emotional support animal like Dude helps him cope. Physical disability is also represented as Noah’s friend Amara, is a wheelchair user played by teen actress Sophie Kim.
Hardball (ABC).
Hardball is a homegrown Aussie TV show that bursts onto the screen with a fresh and vibrant take on the world of schoolyard antics. The show revolves around Mikey, a 12-year-old with cerebral palsy who possesses an unyielding spirit and a head full of entrepreneurial dreams. Watch the daily adventures, challenges and triumphs faced by Mikey and his friends as they navigate the rollercoaster of pre-teen life.
Rising Phoenix (Netflix).
This documentary is a deep and moving exploration of the Paralympic movement, its history, and the exceptional athletes who have shattered stereotypes and defied odds. Through poignant interviews and breathtaking visuals, Rising Phoenix follows nine Paralympians in the run-up to the Paralympics in Rio in 2016 and highlights the extraordinary determination and resilience of the athletes as they compete on the global stage.