Disabilities in tv dramas

Disabled people are represented in many ways through media some are seen as a role model and some are seen as a negative stereotype towards them and mostly the disability shown in media is a physical one and not mentally as that's hard to express as there's no way to be certain about that type of disability as some symptoms are faint compared to a psychical one.

 

The type of disabled person used is the "Super cripple" which makes them seem to be better than most other disabled people and despite their condition they can achieve anything and hope any disabled will follow them and also be the strong person represented . Here are some examples of this representation: Stephen Hawking , Ellie Simmonds

 

 

On the other hand they can be represented as someone to sympathise over as they need constant attention when looked after and that every day is a struggle to them and cant do anything and everything is a challenge in which they cant do themselves.

 

Or even worse they can be shown as laughing stock in which people see them as freaks as they aren't seen physically identical to everyone else and was also not seen as equals to non-disabled to people in which it wasn't till the mid 1970s in which they realised that disabled people contribute to society still and that changes have to be made.  

 

Source used for some of the information.

This blog is relevant to our thriller task because our murderer has a mental disability and we tried to make the person not appear to be one of the stereotypes and overall cant be stereotyped.