Disability

All information was taken from the following websites:
- http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/introduction-bfi-collections/bfi-mediatheques/unlimited-disability-screen (1)
- http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/oct/16/women-old-disabled-under-represented-television (2)
- http://www.theguardian.com/society/joepublic/2011/sep/22/ricky-gervais-stephen-merchant-disability (3)
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/representation-disabled-people (4)


The portrayal of disability in British film and television across the last century.

Cinemas rarely shown people with physical and sensory disabilities in an unnatural, unhumanised way in both fiction and non-fiction films. However films have never been good with promoting good stereotypes of disabled people in language and social attitudes showing they have learning disabilities and mental illness.
The first disabled character didn't appeared on British television until 1992 in BBC soap Eldorado, which was played by the actor Donald Gray. In the 21st century, TV dramas started to include the true nature of disability people showing these people can suffer badly and have problems such as having motor neuron disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder and multiple personality conditions. Although, these parts are played mostly by able-bodied actors. with the expectation of disabled actors playing the parts. (1)

Women and older people are misrepresented on television and disabled people are barely seen on some of the UK’s biggest-rating shows.
Television Dramas uses far younger male than other characters trying to gain the most ratings as possible, with low representation of disabled, ethnic minorities, and lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Broadcasters have united together to improve the representation of people both on screen and behind the scenes. For example, some of the most popular programmes on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky1 said "just 15% of women are featured were aged 56 or over, as half the actual make-up (30%) of that demographic in the UK". This states that both on screen and behind the screen men still outnumber women by a ratio of almost 3:2; stating that males has more playable parts in television than females and have more jobs to do behind the screen than females. As stated in the article that ITV had the most minority ethnic faces with 16.5%, followed by the BBC1’s 12.2%, with the most disabled contributors; finally forwarded by with Channel 4 with 3.5%, showing at the bottom in the disabled category with just 1.4%. (2)

TV diversity – showing the percentage of people on-screen who are … (From '2' Source)
Women: 42%
Over 55: 16.1%
Minority ethnic: 13.4%
Disabled: 2.5%
Lesbian, gay or bisexual: 1%

Disability was a campaigning issue, as actors and actress who played disabled characters on television or films were embarrassing to disabled people, as these stereotypes of them were poorly represented as they were shown to be unnatural, no-equalizing way. As they shown to be non-sociable and unable to help themselves, as they relayed on others to do things for them.
In advertising, drama series, sitcoms, soap operas or comedy panel shows, disabled performers are shown to be inhuman, as they were used to be evil in television dramas and films as they were the antagonist in them or to be victims as they are unable to help themselves to be a part of a laugh in comedy panel shows. Take for example "A Touch of Frost" were Billy is being questioned by Inspector Frost and having his father in the room to help him and support him. This shows that disabled people are unable to be left on their lone at any times when they may need the help of another person.
However, some things are getting better for disabled performers now as broadcaster's companies are having diversity departments to help disabled actors and actress with their performance in both TV dramas and films. However most disabled people are featured in documentaries, as they are seen to be a "type of misery heavy portrayals of disabled "victims" or "burdened" carers". (3)

From the BBC website article, I have learnt the BBC is going to improve the representation of disability both on and off screen. As currently the BBC haves staff who are disabled is currently 3.7% and the target for 2017 is to employed 5.3%. And Disabled leadership staff is currently 3.1% and the target is to get it to 5% for 2017. Furthermore the BBC will give more opportunities for disabled people to work for the BBC. This means that disabled people will have the same equal rights as an able-body people in both getting actor/actress character roles and positions of work to help with making the TV Drama or film. (4)

In conclusion, I have learnt of how disability is presented in television that in that it needs improvement. As I acknowledged that using disability in films, TV Dramas or any other on-air television way needs to be make sure that actors/ actress needs to equally auditioned for and thought of carefully, as to give the same chance to both disabled or non-disabled people of being a part of television drama or film. In my thriller "In Thus Life", the main male character of the thriller will have some kind of mental illness, as he will be suffering for horrible nightmares and daily life issues, I know that when I auditioned actors for the role. I have to acknowledge disabled people to have the same chance of getting the role for the part in the thriller. This means that in the production of my thriller, I will make sure that the disabled actor will have help and support with preparing and in filming of the film.