Modern medical technology has saved the lives of many born with or later acquiring a disability. As the incidence of disability increases in our society so too does the appearance of wheels on TV. So this column is dedicated to how the small screen is affecting our image. When embarking on this topic I was fully aware of the fact that people on wheels are hardly victims of the media. The media stereotypes, distorts and exploits virtually every minority on a regular basis. Much of the following discussion could be applied to other minorities in society.
When I was younger every public-service image included a person of every race and of course someone in a wheelchair. To my knowledge there aren’t many current characters on wheels, however it appears that the barrier of political correction has been broken as people using wheelchairs have been placed in random roles. Examples include lawyer Jonathan Ashworth in Judging Amy; Kevin, the eldest brother, in Joan of Arcadia; and Stevie in Malcolm in the Middle. There is also a series devoted to characters using wheelchairs called Quads. There are several ways to view these images. In one light I see them as normalizing disability and supporting their recognition in society. In another light I see them as misleading and categorical. I think the problem lies in limited character development. Although I appreciate that writers integrate characters without drawing undue attention to their disability, it creates problems when trying to present the whole picture.
In my experience wheeling characters fall into one of three categories. The first is demonstrated by the Jonathan from Judging Amy. His character uses wheels and yet appears virtually unaffected by his disability. This scenario showcases a capable individual and serves to normalize disability however the portrayal is misleading. If a disabled individual held a similar position in real life it is likely that they would encounter secondary challenges not mentioned in the series, such as difficulty in navigating around small offices. There might be more value in illustrating real challenges and contributing to public awareness rather than creating unrealistic expectations of many with disabilities.
The eldest brother portrayed on Joan of Arcadia, is a well-integrated character on wheels. He demonstrates the problem faced by many accident victims of overcoming anger and bitterness caused by the loss of ability. However it is unfortunate that other character traits seem to be neglected. Despite struggles faced by anyone they always have more than one dimension to offer. With viewers only seeing that one dimension they may expect the same behaviour from all members of that minority.
The third category represented on TV, are those whose challenges are exploited for comic relief. I value the fact that some TV shows do not exempt those with challenges from the development of humour, after all I want to be treated like everyone else. Having said that, there is no reason that those with challenges cannot be a part of able-bodied jokes and their disability does not have to be at the centre of every spoof.
Perhaps instead of examining how minorities’ images are distorted on the small screen, we should spend more time looking at the bigger picture of how the small screen is affecting the views of society.
Keep on rolling in the city.
~ Chantal
