Romanska on Disability Representation in Hollywood: Ms. Magazine

Performing Arts associate professor Magda Romanska is quoted in the article “Cosplaying Oppression: Hollywood’s History of Excluding Autistic People From Their Own Stories,” describing the four tropes disabled characters typically play: the “magical cripple,” the “evil cripple,” the “inspirational cripple,” and the “redemptive cripple.”

The issue of representation—what kind of characters these actors play—remains mostly unaddressed. The vast majority of characters with disabilities, whether they’re played by actors with disabilities or not, continue to represent the same outdated tropes.

Read the Ms. Magazine piece.