If one were to ask the average media viewer about disability at the Academy Awards, they’d probably refer to Marlee Matlin winning the Oscar for Best Actress for the 1986 feature “Children of a Lesser God” and the 2021 feature “CODA” winning Best Picture. But to the disabled community, these two wins illustrate the highs and lows of the con- tinued struggle for representation on-screen.
Though one in four people have a disability in the United States, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that number is not reflected in entertainment. According to a 2024 study from USC Annenberg, 2.2% of all characters in the films of 2023 had a disability, a 0.3% increase from the previous year. And according to GLAAD’s 2022 “Where Are We on TV” report, only 2.8% of all series regulars were characters with disabilities. So, this raises the question: In the three years since “CODA” debuted, has Hollywood capitalized on its success? In some ways, yes, but there’s still much more progress to be made.
“Ideally, the success of ‘CODA’ could have been a strong beginning of a relay race, setting the pace for better representation and greater opportu- nities for disabled creatives industry-wide,” Lawrence Carter-Long, actor and disability advocate, told TheWrap. “But instead of continuing to build momentum, the entertainment [industry] has dropped the baton.”
Despite small steps toward inclusion, like Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” containing two performers with disabilities – one as a background per- former and another as a nameless Barbie performing in a dance routine – Hollywood has not yet earnestly attempted to replicate the success of “CODA.” Notably, none of the major widescreen releases put out by any of the major studios in recent months contain disabled cast, characters or plot points. Warner Bros.’ recent release of “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is an exception, although that is a doc- umentary and not a narrative feature.
But disabled people don’t just have stories to tell; they have spending power. Per a 2018 article by the American Institutes for Research, people with dis- abilities hold half a trillion (yes, that’s a “T”) dollars in disposable income.
So why have we not seen greater progress? Much of this is due to outdated but pervasive ste- reotypes regarding people with disabilities. “I’ve been in industry meetings with executives who pri- vately disclose to me they have medical conditions they wrestle with revealing because they know the stigma in response to doing so will limit their own professional growth,” said David Radcliff, co-chair of the Disabled Writers Committee at the Writers Guild of America, West.
Per a study by Inevitable Foundation, 40% of audiences, disabled and non-disabled, are likely to recommend a film or TV show if it showcases authentic representations of disability and/or mental health conditions. So, while the box office might not be off the charts, there is a clear hunger for disabil- ity in media. It’s worth noting, however, that not all media has to be focused on a character becoming disabled. For instance, TV hits like “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls” include storylines about characters who just so happen to be disabled.
Where this kind of representation is being seen more often is through the work of the indepen- dent film market, like the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. Launched in 2013 by actor and comedian Nic Novicki, the five-day filmmaking contest “gives filmmakers—with and without disabilities—the oppor- tunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that show- case disability in its many forms.” The Film Challenge has been the launchpad for disabled performers including Shannon DeVido, Danny J. Gomez, and Nicole Lynn Evans, as well as disabled directors including Ashley Eakin.
Even as progress is made on screen, change in entertainment C-suites is also essential. Disabled people belong in all roles in the industry, including at the executive level. But this requires a shift in corpo- rate culture. “We need more openly disabled people on the decision-making side of development desks, which will require a shift in the idea that the office employee who runs fastest or hustles most or uses phones the best also must have the strongest cre- ative instinct,” said Radcliff.
However, at a panel presented by Easterseals Disability Services at TheGrill 2024, Lolo Spencer, an actor on “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” shared the reminder that hiring disabled executives is not a singular solution, because “every person with a disability also has their own experiences. So, if you’re throwing somebody with a disability to check the box, but they’re still battling with internalized ableism, they’re not going to make the decisions that are going to push the community forward in a positive and an authentic way.”
When will Hollywood finally fully embrace disability as a natural part of the human experience when making movies and TV shows? It’s well beyond time for another powerhouse picture like “CODA” to keep the disability representation conversation going.
This article is sponsored by Easterseals.
