Good representation matters. When children with disability see characters who share their experiences, it can help them feel more confident and connected. It also helps other people learn to see disability as just one part of who someone is.
In this blog, we’ve put together a list of shows and movies that do a great job of representation. They feature characters with disabilities in strong, thoughtful, and fun ways. All are available to stream, so you can enjoy them at home with your family.
“If the magical seed of representation is planted at a young age, it will bloom into something precious and valuable. ” – Disability activist, author and actress Hannah Diviney
TV shows
El Deafo
This three-part animated series is based on an ACD favourite – Cece Bell’s graphic novel El Deafo. When young Cece loses her hearing, she navigates school life with the help of her superhero alter ego, El Deafo, finding strength and identity in her differences.
Speechless
Speechless expores the serious and humorous challenges facing families of teenagers with disability. The oldest son of the DiMeo family, JJ, has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair and assistive technology to communicate.
Movies and Documentaries
Crip Camp
In the early 1970s, a summer camp for kids with disabilities became the launching pad for a new civil rights movement, which eventually led to the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution tells the story of how it all happened.
The Peanut Butter Falcon
This heartwarming movie follows a young man with Down Syndrome who escapes from an assisted living facility and befriends a fisherman on the run. Families will love following Zak’s adventure, as he chases his wrestling dreams.
Out of my mind
In Out of My Mind we meet Melody Brooks, is a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair. Despite being underestimated by those around her, Melody finds a way to communicate and show the world just how much she has to say.
More about representation
We love this piece from Hannah Diviney about the need for better representation of disability in children’s media.
Useful links
Activities for teenagers with disability
Connecting with other families
Read more Books & TV