Portrayals of People with Disabilities

As a child, I vividly remember watching “The Wizard of Oz” with great anticipation. We had a color t.v. and I was able to see the glorious technicolor when Dorothy first landed in Oz. I thought the Wicked Witch of the West was powerful. I adored the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the “cowardly” Lion. When the munchkins appeared, I felt shock and humiliation. People with my disability were portrayed as childlike, high pitched, awkwardly moving caricatures. The actors who played the munchkins weren't even named in the final credits. People with dwarfism continue to be depicted as clowns, elves, gnomes and other derogatory caricatures. We are often mocked and ridiculed in the media.

Then a historic moment happened, a woman with my type of dwarfism, Sinead Burke, was featured on the cover of the September, 2019 issue of “British Vogue” as a “Force for Change.” Sinead was one of 15 women featured. This came at a time when people of diverse backgrounds were at long last acknowledged and represented in mainstream media; disabled, gay, queer, transgender, African American, Asian American, Indigenous and Latinx.

This is significant and bears witness. Sinead represents beauty, glamour and intelligence. She is worthy and welcomed into the fashion world; the able-bodied, change your body, fit your body into a mold world. Sinead is actively changing the world of fashion to address our bodies.

Peter Dinklage received international recognition for portraying Tyrion Lannister on the television series Game of Thrones. He received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series a record of four times. Peter Dinklage also received a Golden Globe Award in 2011 and a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2020. Dinklage is an exceptional actor who is honored for his craft. He also has my type of dwarfism. Peter Dinklage's achievements stand in stark contrast to the more common and historic depiction of other actors with dwarfism.

In 2019, Ali Stroker became the first wheelchair-using actor to appear on a Broadway stage. She is also the first to be nominated for and win a Tony Award. Ali Stroker won best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical, for her role in “Oklahoma.” She was part of the ensemble cast, dancing in her wheelchair with able bodied actors, visible to the world.

These images and portrayals of people with disabilities give me hope and reflect our true humanity.