Disability issues are much larger than most of the nation realizes. There are over 56 million Americans living with disabilities in our country, but if you watch popular media, you wouldn’t know that. Today’s entertainment rarely gives us a story about someone with disabilities, but some people in Hollywood are trying to change that.
Will You Be Watching Speechless This Fall?
A new show is coming to ABC on September 21st. This show is called Speechless, and it’s about a family who has a nonverbal son with disabilities. The executive producer, Scott Silveri, is at the center of this new project. He was a former producer on Friends who always wanted to tell a story that expanded the public’s knowledge about disability, but he had reservations.
Hollywood has never been very good about telling the story of people with disabilities, but Silveri had a reason to push the envelope and try. You see, Silveri grew up alongside a brother with special needs. This experience has always left him wanting to tell a story that speaks to families who have children with disabilities. And when he finally got his chance, he wanted to do justice to the disability community.
The show’s titular role is being played by Micah Fowler, a young actor with cerebral palsy. He has had roles in Blue’s Clues, the movie Labor Day, and now he’s ready to take on this new character. Fowler even said that Speechless was already his favorite comedy. Now that’s dedication to a role!
A show like this could go a long way to expose the public to the issues people with disabilities must face. However, the showrunners insist that it is a show about family and not just disabilities. Are you eager to see this show? Do you think it will go a long way toward solving issues that plague the disability community? Log on to our Twitter and Facebook to tell us what you think, and keep following our blog to learn more about the issues that matter to you.
Brought to you by the Tulsa disability attorneys at Troutman & Troutman.
