Bob CollinsIn advance of Sunday’s Oscars broadcast, the Easter Seals Society is criticizing Hollywood for not showing “characters with disabilities” more often.
In an email today, the group said:
The stories of children and adults living with disabilities simply aren’t being told. In 2010, acclaimed movies like The King’s Speech and Temple Grandin brought interesting characters living with disabilities to enthusiastic audiences – but last year’s major releases showed a distressing lack of portrayals of people with special needs.
The entertainment industry needs to keep hearing from supporters like you that people with disabilities, and the people who care about them, are not invisible. As industry leaders celebrate the year’s finest films at the Oscars this weekend, they’ll also be thinking about new projects for the year ahead – making this the perfect time to speak out and let them know we want to see more diversity onscreen.
Movies and television aren’t just entertainment. They’re a mirror we hold up to society – but right now, they don’t accurately reflect the millions of children and adults living with special needs in the U.S.
Can it be done? Sure. One of the few successful shows NBC has on its schedule — Parenthood — includes a character with autism:
