Designing for Digital Justice by Megan Shaw
Authentic Disability Portrayal Reflecting upon my adolescent consumption of media, I am sad to report that the only show I remember there being disabled characters in was “Glee.” One of the main characters in the Glee Club was an individual in a wheelchair who participated wholeheartedly in every musical number performed . After reading “The Difference Disability Makes,” I became curious about whether this was an authe ntic portrayal of a disability or an example of “ Cripping up , ” (Sandal, 2019). It turns out that this character was portrayed by a non-disabled actor. How many other roles from my adolescence were like this? It is the depiction of disabled characters by non-disabled actors that can create unfair stereotypes. How does a non-disabled person know the mannerisms, emotions, etc. of a disabled person? These assumptions on how to act like a “ disabled person ,” are what perpetuate the idea that disabled individuals are lesser than others (Sandal, 2019). I d...