This document discusses the representation of disability in TV drama. It addresses several topics: the types of disabilities portrayed; common stereotypes like victims needing pity; whether characters are treated equally; underrepresentation issues; efforts by TV bosses to include more disabled actors and characters; and how camera work, editing, and sound can influence disability representation. Examples from shows like Skins and Glee are provided to illustrate both stereotypes and more progressive portrayals.

1. Disability and TV Drama
What are the stereotypes
How are they used
What issues are there

2. What do we already know
• What types of disabled are there?
– Physical
– Behavioural
– Emotional
– Health
– Sensory
• You have five mins to list all the disabled
characters on TV you can think of (any TV Drama)

3. In General
• How are these people being represented? Are
they victims? Does everyone have pity on
them? Are they treated like everyone else?
• What stereotypes do we have?
• Are they different depending on the disability.
• What part do they have within the show, is it a
crucial role?

4. Camera Mise en Scene
Editing Sound

5. Example One
What stereotypes are used here and how are
the technical elements used to make us focus on
the representation of ability and disability
• Tony and Skins – Family
• Tony and Skins - Friends

6. Under Representation
• “The representation of Disability in the
media in the last ten years is pretty much the
same as it has always been: clichéd,
stereotyped and archetypal” Disabling Barriers, Enabling
Environments by John Swain
• How far do you agree with this statement?

7. 11th March 2009
• British TV drama bosses from across the main channels
are to take action to ensure that more disabled actors
are cast in their programmes
• There was consensus that much more effort should be
made to include disabled actors in parts not originally
written as disabled characters, and that there was a
need for more inclusion of disabled people as
background characters as a matter of course and for
the development of disabled characters as permanent
members of soap casts
• Do you think this has happened? What do you think
might be some of the difficulties associated with this?

8. Example Two
• There was a bit of an outcry about Glee and its
use of able-bodied actors – what do you
think?

9. Camera Mise en Scene
Editing Sound

10. A very different Representation
• Part One
• Part Two
• How is Ability and Disability dealt with? Give
specific details

11. Summary
• Write down five stereotypes about disability
that we have discussed today.
• Give examples from TV Dramas where these
stereotypes are reinforced
• Give examples from TV Dramas where these
stereotypes are challenged.
• Give examples of how technical elements can
be used to represent disability