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DisABILITY In Media

Page moderated by Becky Curran Kekula. Americans with disabilities remain virtually invisible in the media. As NPR’s Daniel Schorr notes: “If you don’t exist in the media, for all practical purposes, you don’t exist.”

Like other marginalized diversity groups, people with disabilities want to see people representative of them on television, film and in all forms of media that has the power to shat

ter myths. Our industry creates and exports media images on large, small and personal screens, and those images impact attitudes around the world. Instead of assumptions we are excited with this opportunity to educate the industry about the accessibility and accommodation rights and needs of performers with disabilities and how to address them. Performers with disabilities want to see changes in audition and employment practices so that the results reflect the industry’s commitment to eliminate stereotyping in casting and to “more accurately portray the American Scene.”

In honor of Disability Awareness Month, in October of 2011, we hosted a successful panel titled “Redefining DisABILITY In The Media” that took place at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles. Our interactive panel included Robert David Hall from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," RJ Mitte from "Breaking Bad," Danny Woodburn from “Seinfeld,” Lauren Potter from "Glee,” Teal Sherer and Kim Evey from the web series “The Guild," Chris Thornton, who wrote and stars in "Sympathy For Delicious," Rebekah and Joshua Weigel from "The Butterfly Circus," Eileen Grubba from "Hung," and Noam Dromi, who wrote "Dolphin Tale." In October 2012, we co-hosted another dynamic panel event titled “Embracing Differences in the Media” which included Robert David Hall from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," RJ Mitte from "Breaking Bad," Mia Schaikewitz from “Push Girls,” Mark Povinelli from “Mirror, Mirror,” Tobias Forrest from “The Sessions,” Lynn Manning from Watts Village Theater Company, and Chauntal Lewis from Believe and Become. These events continue to raise awareness about improved portrayals and increased employment opportunities of professionals and talented artists with disabilities both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

04/06/2026

Landing on the PBS Documentaries channel soon: A personal memoir amplified by cultural and medical inquiry, filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman searches for belonging within the little people community.

The Tallest Dwarf streams on the PBS documentaries YouTube channel starting April 6.

Photos from ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York's post

03/20/2026

03/18/2026

Don't miss a terrific film screening of The Tallest Dwarf, happening one week from today, Tues. March 24th at Newton Free Library in Druker Auditorium at 6:30pm. The Tallest Dwarf follows filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman as she searches for her place in the little people community and unpacks rumors of dwarfism in her own family. Panel discussion after the film with Becky Curran (UOD Board member) and Nyree Kibarian, moderated by Jack Lovett. Event co-sponsored by UOD, the library, and City of Newton Commission On Disability. Doors open at 6PM, event is free and accessible. Details here: https://newtonfreelibrary.libcal.com/event/15807966

Inspired by the documentaries featured on PBS’ Independent Lens, this is an Indie Lens Pop-Up event meant to strengthen community connections.

02/23/2026

01/19/2026

01/09/2026

For Two Weekends Only, Enter the absurd world of Teal Sherer.

Have you ever become invisible in Whole Foods? Or fielded a stranger’s question about your sexual functioning? The World Looks Different Sitting Down is her tale of confronting the world at crotch level to bust open misconceptions and limitations about life as a wheelchair user.

Drawing from traditions of standup comedy, theater, and dance, Teal’s storytelling weaves together realism with heightened physical theater for a bold, unapologetic evening that’s hilarious, enraging, and heartrending.

THE WORLD LOOKS DIFFERENT SITTING DOWN
Written and Performed by Teal Sherer
Directed and Choreographed by Jessica Wallenfels
February 20 - March 1. 2026
www.seattlepublictheater.org/sittingdown

12/20/2025

Blue Origin will make history when it sends the first person who uses a wheelchair past the Kármán line, an internationally recognized boundary of space that's 62 miles above Earth, on its next mission.

Read more: https://abcnews.visitlink.me/JMRBO1

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