It is nearly impossible to find realistic portrayals of disability on television or in films. A new ABC comedy is filling the gap with Speechless, a show about the daily life of a family navigating the ups and downs of life with disability. Star Micah Fowler is a great actor but he isn’t merely “acting” disabled; he has cerebral palsy (though he is verbal in real life) and knows many of the challenges his character faces. The show’s creator, Scott Silveri, knows a lot about life in a family with a disabled sibling; his brother has cerebral palsy. You can learn more about Silveri and the show [here](http://www.npr.org/2016/11/10/501613535/abcs-speechless-looks-to-change-how-hollywood-depicts-disability), in an interview with NPR.
Think this is a niche market? Think again. [Census data](http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/censr-23.pdf) shows that nearly thirty percent of American families have at least one member with a disability. So even though Speechless stars an actor with cerebral palsy, it will resonate with families dealing with disabilities of all types.
Speechless isn’t the first; several long-running shows have kept viewers watching by including characters with disabilities. Television drama Life Goes On featured actor Chris Burke, who has Down Syndrome. More recently, RJ Mitte (who has cerebral palsy) portrayed Breaking Bad’s only nice guy in his role as Walter, Jr. The hit show Glee also featured the lovely Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome, but drew fire for casting Kevin McHale, who does not use a wheelchair, as Artie Abrams, whose character is paraplegic. Many have called for an actor with autism to be cast in the lead role of the Tony Award-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, which would be another breakthrough for actors and audiences alike.
Families who know about disability first-hand will laugh (and cry) along with Speechless and the tireless mother (played by Minnie Driver) who takes on every fight to get the education and respect her son deserves. As the show continues, it will likely expand beyond the predictable (e.g., Minnie Driver’s outrage at a loading ramp that doubles as wheelchair access) and into new terrain for television. Hopefully, its success will spawn more characters and storylines that bring disabled and differently abled actors and characters into the limelight.
