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Poll says viewers think filmmakers can do more to authentically depict mental illness & disabilities
MMS Staff
17 Jul 2024
2-min read
The verdict is in on Hollywood’s representation of people with disability and mental illness, and the numbers have spoken.
According to a new study by the non-profit Inevitable Foundation, cheekily titled ‘Audiences Are Waiting for Hollywood to Greenlight Disability,’ 60 percent of the audience is “unsatisfied with how disability and mental health are currently represented on big screens and small screens alike.”
The foundation works with disabled writers and filmmakers to destigmatise disability and mental health, and increase (and level up) the representation of this community.
The poll saw 1,000 participants, of which half lived with disabilities and half did not.
The study noted that 15 percent of the global population lives with some form of disability or neurodivergence, and when it comes to TV viewing, this population is watching more content than non-disabled or neurotypical audiences.
Even so, the polled audience feels the representation is inadequate and improper.
“As it stands, the entertainment industry’s drastic underinvestment in authentic disabled storytelling is abandoning an important and growing untapped market and eroding the trust of disabled and non-disabled audiences alike,” the report reads.
The poll also shows that 43 percent of the audience comprising both disabled and non-disabled folx ‘frequently discuss or share’ content that has authentic representation of people with disabilities or neurodivergence.
And 40 percent are likely to recommend a film or show to friends or family members if it has authentic representation.
Recently, the Indian Supreme Court released a set of guidelines for authentic representation of disabled characters, following a Public Interest Litigation filed against the makers of the film ‘Aankh Micholi,’ which had ableist representation.
Some other numbers the poll highlights:
25 percent of global households have at least 1 disabled person.
35 percent of disabled people watch 20+ hours of TV per week, compared to 25 percent non-disabled people.
63 percent of disabled people watch more than 10 hours of TV per week, compared to 55 percent of non-disabled people.
31 percent of audiences feel there are no streaming services committed to authentic disability or mental health representation.
25 percent of audiences consider more than 90 percent of the depictions of disability seen in the past year to be inauthentic.
50 percent of Gen Z will research a company to make sure it aligns with their values.
Some recent films and shows that have good representation include:
All The Light We Cannot See:
Check out the full report here.
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