Why We Need Films That Focus on Disabilities
Lately, we’ve seen a lot of representation of people with disabilities in many different films and television shows such as ABC’s “Speechless,” AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” A&E’s “Born This Way,” Netflix’s “Special” and many more. But we still need more films that bring awareness and give a clear representation of people with disabilities so people can finally understand there is more to us than just the stigmas and stereotypes.
For example, one of the huge stigmas people with disabilities face is that we are unable to live an average and normal life. Truthfully, we are able to live an average life; we do face more challenges and obstacles but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our lives or don’t have the same emotions as others do.
I also think we need more films and television shows that focus on the positive side of disabilities. When many in society hear the word “disability,” they think negatively about the person and have pity for them. If people saw a positive view of people with disabilities through different types of films, sitcoms and media I think they would think twice before feeling sorry for them and maybe see it as no big deal that a person is in a wheelchair or has autism.
People with disabilities need someone we can relate to and sometimes opening up to people can be hard for us, so having a film or a sitcom with a character that has gone through the same obstacles we have could help us. Not everyone’s story is the same, so we need filmmakers and screenwriters to represent all different points of view and kinds of disabilities.
I think if there were films and television shows with a protagonist with a disability, stigma would become less and less of an issue. If people could see the raw truth about people with disabilities and their everyday lives, society would be more open to understanding diversity.
Getty image by Ponsulak.
Tylia L. Flores is a twenty-eight-year-old born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Despite her condition that affects her mobility, she does not allow it to affect her will and determination to make a difference in the world. Through her many life challenges and obstacles, she discovered her passion for writing. Tylia’s goal in life is to share her stories with the world. In doing so, she hopes to help others with disabilities realize that they, too, have the potential to make their dreams come true. Tylia is not only an author. She’s a radio show personality and a disability activist. Tylia has written about disability-related topics for Yahoo Life, Your Tango, The Mighty, ReadUnwritten.com, Words Between Coasts Project, Wednesday, Spilwords, and Goble Thrive. Worth Living Among her other appearances are Disability on the Spectrum and Why I was Afraid of Sexuality. Previously, Tylia was nominated to Diversabilities list of the most influential Disability Impacts of 2022. Additionally, Tylia holds the position of chairman in the creative director role for the North American Association Of Cerebral Palsy Advocates. She serves as a mentor for the Disability EmpowHer Network as well. Tylia also works for Write It Up Publishing as a sensitivity reader focusing on disability representation. Tylia has also been involved in many movie press releases for Samuel Goldwyn Films Come as you are Piece of me which was the short film directed and written by award winning filmmaker Bruna Cabral as well as the film adaptation of the book Calvin can’t fly by Jenifer Burnes Tylia is also a keynote speaker at 2020’s Cerebral Palsy Awareness conference. She has also been a guest speaker at Northeastern State University Broken Arrow where she talks to college students about disability and inclusion in education. She has also been a guest speaker at Plantation Middle School, where she discussed inclusion and disability with classmates. Tylia is fully certified in Education for All: Disability, Diversity, and Inclusion through Cape Town University. She’s also certified in Understanding Diversity and Inclusion through Purdue University. She’s also certified in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Tylia hosts the Stomping On cerebral Palsy radio show with DJ Ty on Asheville FM with DJ Mouse during the Come On In the Kitchen segment once a month she also helps the staff behind the scenes, help bring awareness to disability awareness and inclusion within the radio broadcasting industry .
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