Toolkit on the Go: Representing Disabilities in Film and Television

Prepared by Disabilities in Media & the Global Alliance for Disability in Media & Entertainment (GADIM)

This 1-page Toolkit points to suggestions/recommendations for representing disabilities on screen. Many of the points raised here were co-produced with disabled people, ﬁlmmakers, disability advocates/allies, researchers and academics in disability studies and ﬁlm studies. The more in-depth Toolkit can be found here: Representing Disabilities and People with Disabilities in Films: Working Toolkit for ﬁlmmakers and industry stakeholders. The objective of this Toolkit is to promote anti-ableist representations in ﬁlm and television that can contribute to positive disability identity and inclusion.

Casting:

Disabled people, disabled actors, and disabled crew members should be part of the process for ﬁlmmaking and productions about disability issues and disabilities.
Disabled actors should be used to play disabled roles to avoid disability mimicry and inauthentic representation. If for some reason the production cannot hire a disabled actor, a disability consultant should be employed to be on set at all times.
Disabled characters should be a regular part of mainstream ﬁlm and television content and not an occasional feature.
Put disabled actors in leading and supporting roles across all genres.

Scripting/Character Creation:

Writing rooms should include people with disabilities, particularly when a character with a disability is being scripted.
If nobody in the writing room has the disability being depicted, a disability consultant should be employed.

Costuming:

Wheelchairs are not props or an aesthetic. Use them only when a character or storyline calls for it.
Depict accurate mobility canes for blind characters on screen; they should not be led by hand.
Costumes should be appropriate for the character and not uncomfortable for disabled actors and used only when a character or storyline calls for it.
Discuss the character’s clothing and accessories with the disabled actor or an on-set disability consultant, e.g. not all blind people wear dark glasses.

Film scores/soundtracks/music on screen:

Accompanying sounds/music should not be emotional, tragic, or sad simply because a character has a disability.
Do not change sounds/music for scenes where a disabled person is featured to invoke sadness/tragedy.
Use sounds/music intentionally to illustrate an empowered disabled character.
Include disabled crew members in the sounds/music production.

Language of disabilities on screen:

Do not identify disabled characters on screen by their disabilities in a way that is unnecessary, for example, saying blind CEO when you can simply say CEO.
Do not use stigmatizing or antiquated terms about mental health disabilities.
Depict disabled characters as part of the community. More than 1 billion people across the world have some form of disability (16% of the world’s population).
Represent the diversity of disabled characters. Some disabled people have multiple disabilities and/or are neurodiverse. Do not assign disabled characters disabilities that the actors do not have. Do not use disability terms in a negative way.

Accessibility:

With 1.3 billion disabled people worldwide, film and television content should have captions for deaf people, and if possible, audio descriptions for blind people.
The audition process for film and television productions should be accessible, such as being in a building with wheelchair ramps and elevators for an in-person audition.
Film and TV productions should meet the accessibility needs of all disabled members of the production team and have barrier-free sets.

Best Practices:

Represent disabilities in an inclusive way, without implying some disabilities are “better” than others.
Increase the frequency of ﬁlm and TV productions about disabilities and/or with disabled characters.
Disabled actors/performers should be given equal pay to their nondisabled colleagues.
Avoid negative stereotypes or themes of pity or charity when representing disabilities on screen.