4/13/26 - Disability on screen

Good afternoon!

This Monday there are three articles to share on the same basic topic ... disability depictions in movies and TV. I hope everyone has a great week!

‘Code of Silence,’ ‘Pulse’ and More Honored by Ruderman Family Foundation for Portrayals of Characters With Disabilities

Payton Turkeltaub, Variety - April 6, 2026

"In order to obtain the Ruderman seal, productions must feature actors with disabilities in a speaking role with at least five lines and must be in or close to general release."

Rewarding the Flex: What Awards Culture Gets Wrong about Disability, Effort, and Authenticity

Lawrence Carter-Long, AbleNews - March 30, 2026

"I’ve spent over two decades making the case that Hollywood has never fully ignored disability. Not entirely. Through showcases on the history and evolution of disability in film with friends and colleagues at Turner Classic Movies, and now in my role as Director of Engagement for ReelAbilities International, I’ve said publicly what bears repeating: the love Hollywood shows disability is real, but conditional."

ReelAbilities Is Changing Disability Representation in Media | Lawrence Carter-Long

Alycia Anderson - April 9, 2026

"Lawrence shares his background growing up with cerebral palsy, being a 1970s “poster child,” and how that early exposure taught him the power of media and communication. He explains ReelAbilities as a disability-forward film festival and year-round platform where “film is the front door” to community, conversation, and cultural change, emphasizing accessibility through open captions and audio description. They discuss moving beyond “tragic or heroic” tropes by elevating authentic stories and changing who writes, produces, directs, and greenlights projects, citing work like Best Summer Ever and Out of My Mind. Lawrence also describes the festival dates, sample programs, affiliate festivals, and his mantra: 'go through the doors that open.'"

These pieces collected in my "to read" queue recently. Their focus on the same topic, (and for two of them the same commentator), caught my attention. They also happen to be about one of my favorite disability topics. I say "favorite" because I seem to return to it often for several reasons:

• I love movies and TV.
• Depictions of disability in movies and TV did a lot to shape my views of disability from an early age.
• My thoughts, opinions, and priorities around disability representation in media have changed a lot over the years.
• Depictions of disability in popular culture continue to produce both feelings of empowerment and joy, and intense frustration and disgust in me.

I appreciate how Lawrence Carter-Long combines the two main threads of thinking about this subject. The quality and sophistication of disability stories and characters are important. But so is the involvement of disabled actors, writers, and other professionals in the creation of movies and TV shows with disability themes and content. And I hope to be able to respond to Lawrence's invitation and sample some of this year's ReelAbilities events.

Disability Thinking Weekday is a Monday-Friday newsletter with links and commentary on disability-related articles and other content. You can help promote Disability Thinking Weekday by forwarding it by email or posting on your social media. You can also comment by sending me an email at: apulrang@icloud.com. Collected comments are shared on the first of each month. A free subscription sends a newsletter to your email each weekday. Benefits of paid subscription include:

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