Film and Disability

Conceptual Tools and Empirical Data

PDF Link: Simi Linton, "Reassigning Meaning": Overview of terms, definitions, and models of disability

PDF Link: Tobin Siebers, "Disability in Theory: From Social Constructionism to the New Realism of the Body": Social construction of disability and the disabled body

PDF Link: "Mental Health Conditions in Film and TV: Portrayals that Dehumanize and Trivialize Characters": Statistics of mental health representation and portrayal in film

How Mental Health Issues Are Damaged by Mass MediaGet information on how movies, film, and social media often stigmatize and trivialize mental illness.

Disability Representation Is Seriously Lacking In TV And Movies: ReportA study calls for 1 in 4 people on screen and behind the camera to be disabled.

Common Portrayals of Persons with DisabilitiesPart of stereotyping is the attitude that all members of a particular group are the same, or else fall into a very small number of types. This is particularly true in the few cases where persons with a disability appear in media

Disability Portrayal on Screen Hits a Landmark High, Yet Reinforces Negative Stereotypes - Respect AbilityCharacters with Disabilities More Likely to Be Rescued or Die, But Those in the Workforce Portrayed Positively in Family Films.

Problematic Representation of People with Disabilities in the MediaAt Hand-in-Hand, we often find ourselves reminding people that words matter. The way we talk about or describe someone can change the way they’re perceived entirely. Something we talk about less often, that is just as important, is how people are represented in pop culture. Disability representation in fictional charac

The Evolution of Disability in Film: After the Accolades, the Work Continues | PBSLearn about the ever-changing relationship society has with disability as seen in films from the Lumieres to Herzog to Titicut Follies and Crip Camp.

Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American HistoryNot only has disability justified the inequality of disabled people but of other groups as well. In the three great citizenship debates of the 19th century and early 20th centuries: women’s suffrag…

MEDICAL MODEL VS SOCIAL MODELThe medical model uses the terms "Disability", "Disease", "Dysfunctional", "Disorder" to categorize each and every type of symptoms, differences in mechanisms, below average based on standardized...

Discussions and Examples

Disabled actors say they're the 'last civil rights movement' in HollywoodAs debates rage over what characters should appear on screen, and who should portray them, disabilities have largely remained undiscussed.

I got 99 problems ... palsy is just one"I have cerebral palsy. I shake all the time," Maysoon Zayid announces at the beginning of this exhilarating, hilarious talk. (Really, it's hilarious.) "I'm like Shakira meets Muhammad Ali." With grace and wit, the Arab-American comedian takes us on a whistle-stop tour of her adventures as an actress, stand-up comic, philanthropist and advocate for the disabled.

Opinion | What Hollywood Gets Wrong About Disabilities"The Shape Of Water" isn't the first Oscar-winning film to misrepresent disability.

Winning FilmsWatch for the 2021 winning films coming in May! 2020 Challenge Genre: Documentary Short Theme/Motif: Tell your story. What does disability mean to you? Required props: a blue shirt, a photograph, hand sanitizer or hand wipes, something that tells time or the date (a clock, newspaper, calendar, etc.) Adobe Best

When it comes to depicting disability, Hollywood keeps 'cripping up'Sara Novic says that without the inclusion of disabled actors on screen, abled actors and directors will continue to perform tired stereotypes that perpetuate the stigma of the disabled community's inferiority.

Darius Marder makes hearing audiences the minority with Sound of Metal - The Georgetown VoiceSound of Metal, the debut feature film from writer/director Darius Marder, is a sensory experience. It follows Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer in a punk-metal duo with his long-term girlfriend... Read more

'Sound of Metal' is a heartwarming — and frustrating — take on deafnessWhenever I meet a hearing person, I immediately begin steeling myself for their inevitable release of what I like to call “the triad of microaggressions”: 1. Incredulity at deaf independence (“You can drive?”) 2. Comparison to animal (“Oh,…

Sia Adds Warning Label to ‘Music’ Movie, Apologizes to Autism Community on Heels of Golden Globes NominationsSia addressed the controversy surrounding her directorial feature debut, “Music,” after the film earned two Golden Globes nominations Tuesday morning, then promptly deleted her Twitter …

YouTube Playlist

A collection of various videos, interviews, and analyses that you may draw inspiration from. You can add to the playlist as well, or use it as a starting point to curate your own, more specific set.

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