On TV we see characters with disabilities struggle to find inclusive activities and supportive family and friends. This is not only a topic in the media but also one that we see people deal with everyday. Inclusion and exclusion are real problems that people with disabilities face every day. Inclusion is the idea, policy, and action of providing equal access to opportunities for marginalized people. And exclusion is the idea that someone is preventing the action or policy from happening so that everyone can have an equal opportunity. This is an ongoing problem that people with disabilities face every day. After all, the world was not created to be accessible for people with disabilities. We as a community have to make it accessible. Whether that means adding a sensory-friendly activity for a child who has Autism to participate in or a space for a wheelchair at a table.

At the end of the day, what matters is that these characters are treated like any of the other able-bodied characters. They are welcomed, loved, and play a part in their family and friend groups. Their disabilities are not flaws that are holding them back from doing what they love. Their disabilities are what makes them extraordinary.

These are a few shows and movies from Netflix that feature inclusive and exclusive moments that include characters who have disabilities. What each show or movie does well are show viewers that the person with a disability is just like anyone else. They are included in everyday activities and are trying to be mentors and role models for others. Some of these characters have supportive family members and others have their friends by their side to support them.

13 the Musical (PG)

Jonathan Lengel who plays Archie In the film 13 the Musical on Netflix, was born with a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy. In the film, he plays Evan Goldman's best friend, Archie who also uses a wheelchair and lives with muscular dystrophy. Archie is a happy-go-lucky teenager who sometimes jokes about his medical circumstances. Despite his diagnosis, the main characters, Evan and Patrice treat him like a normal, sarcastic, and witty teenager.

At the beginning of the film when Archie is saying see you later to Evan and Patrice, he says that "he will be there sitting in his wheelchair, the one kid left behind". Here he uses a dramatic accent to make fun of his disability instead of feeling bad for himself for being stuck in a chair. After his introduction, he continues to use his wit and sarcasm to humor others around him about his situation. Then at the end of the scene, Patrice says,"Don't fall for it." Meaning that Evan should not feel bad for Archie's dramatic situation and stay with him instead of exploring his new neighborhood. This is a great example of addressing someone who has a disability as a person and not for their disability. It is how everyone should address their friends and family who may have a disability, no matter if it's a visible diagnosis or an invisible one.

Raising Dion: (PG)

On the show, Sammi Haney portrays Dion's best friend, Esperanza, who is a wheelchair user like her character. Sammi Haney was born with Brittle Bone Disease when she was born. Although this diagnosis hasn't stopped her from doing what she loves, acting, being sassy, and making friends. Like her character, Esperanza doesn't let her disability stop her from doing what she loves. She does everything from the school musical to going to birthday parties with Dion, and even later on is his sidekick. However, there are a few infrastructure setbacks that exclude her from joining her classmates in everyday activities like walking into a hallway. The middle school that Esperenza and Dion go to doesn't have a ramp at its front entrance. Instead, it has automatic and accessible doors in the back entrance and theater. Viewers may not notice this at first but Esperanza uses these doors a lot to meet Dion secretly in school and waits for him outside of the stairwell on the concrete. Alongside the infrastructure aspect, Esperanza also is excluded from class when there's no space for her wheelchair.

To turn the negative situations into positive ones, Esperanza always finds ways to get to Dion, whether it's through a secret hallway or a lunch spot she's saved for him. She doesn't let the physical or social exclusion get to her skin, instead, she uses it to sass her peers. And despite being overlooked for her facial expression, wheelchair, and sassy behavior, she is more than a best friend to Dion. She shows young kids that sometimes heroes need friends to look out for them too.

DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy (G)

In season 2 episode 4, Disability Rights Activist, Cass Huff portrays the voice of Eleanor Kimble. Eleanor is the newest, spirited, and enthusiastic member of the horseback riding team who is in a wheelchair like Cass. She is the anchor of the horseback riding team and is mounted on the horseback so that she can join her teammates. When viewers are first introduced to Eleanor she disagrees with the main character, Lucky, about whether she can race at all since she uses a wheelchair. Instead of taking 'No' for an answer, Eleanor excuses herself and calls her horse, Beans, to kneel on command since she cannot saddle up by herself. The other students are shocked by the horse's act of inclusion but do not comment on it any longer. After mounting on her horse, the team's coach Palomino calls everybody to get on their horses to get to the starting line. It seems as if the coach does not have a problem with Eleanor being a wheelchair user and being on the riding team. Before the coach can call the whistle, Lucky makes another snide remark stating to her horse that 'You can do this boy. Don't be intimidated. She might be dragged but that doesn't mean that she's not better than us.' Despite Lucky's remarks about Eleanor having a disability, Eleanor prevails and wins the race against all her other able-bodied team members who were making shocking comments about her. Now, Coach Palomino has a great new addition to the team; and Eleanor has a new supporter. This is showing viewers that sometimes teammates might not be the people in a support group instead the coach or mentor might be the supporter.

Feel the Beat: (G)

Feel the Beat is about a Broadway Star, April, who tries to regain her status by leading a misfit dance group at her hometown dance studio. When you think of misfit dancers, you think about people who cannot dance at all. However, not all of these girls are unable to dance. Amongst this group of dancers is a young girl named Zuzu who feels the beat when she dances. Actress Shaylee Mansfield portrays Zuzu, a young dancer who is deaf. She is used to feeling the vibrations of the music coming from the speakers and dance floor. In addition to her feeling the beat, she also understands what it's like to be a misfit dancer since people with disabilities are not the first pick for the ballet companies or the Rockettes.

Throughout the movie, there are scenes where the other dancers on Zuzu's team communicate using American Sign Language so that she can understand what is going on. Her teammates also incorporate ASL into their dance routines to make sure that Zuzu is a part of the performances. To top it all off, Zuzu's dad knows that his daughter is trying her best to dance with the girls in sync and listen to Miss April. He even takes it as far as practicing a routine with her when April says that everyone needs to rehearse outside the studio. Then later on when April catches on that this is the way Zuzu communicates, she takes initiative to learn sign language to talk to Zuzu about rehearsals and understand the way she dances. Instead of yelling at the girls, she takes pride and emotional sympathy for them since they aren't the perfect team to go to Nationals. But they are friends who stick together despite their differences.

"When I first met you, all I saw was flaws. And then I realized, that's exactly what makes you spectacular. All these beautiful quirks and imperfections." -April

"It took me a while for me to realize that you all have become family." -April

The Babysitter's Club (G)

Stacey Mcgill is best known as the character from the book series who shows pride and representation for the Type One Diabetes Community. She is the treasurer of the club and is only in 7th grade when the series starts. Throughout the TV series, viewers see her hide her imperfections from the other club members. Stacey comes from Manhattan so it seems as though there's nothing "wrong" with her which is why she is trying to hide everything she believes is a flaw in her body. However, viewers have to realize that she is still a teenage girl worried about falling in love, her body, and who her friends are.

In Season 1, Episode 3 titled, "The Truth about Stacey" Stacey attempts to hide her diabetes diagnosis from her friends. At the beginning of the episode, she hides her diagnosis and deals with low blood sugar alone, bullying, and treatments. Then later on in the episode when she is walking home alone, she gets a message from the agency tagged 'Is this who you want babysitting your children?'; and there's a link to her fainting in the cafeteria at her old school. This is not only an act of cyberbullying but also a serious medical incident where she is fainting because of insulin shock pre-diagnosis. This series of events leads her to believe that she should start fresh at Stoneybrook and not tell anyone about her diabetes. That is until it becomes a problem for the babysitter's club service. She shows the club's President, Kristy, the video that someone sent her, causing her friends to worry about her even more than they should. This later becomes a storyline in a season 2 episode called "Stacey's Emergency" when the girls do a fashion show to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

The Society (MA)

The Society is a show that reflects the social and political problems that people face every day. On the show, Sean Berdy who is a deaf actor and disability advocate, plays Sam Eliot. Sam is deaf like Sean and uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with his family and peers. He is often seen as the outcast of his family since he is the only person with a disability and someone who hogs up all of the attention. Despite his role in the group, Sam usually finds other ways to get his peers' attention and cares about his family more than his well-being.

Throughout the show, viewers watch his best friend Becca fluently sign and speak to Sam using ASL and interpret for him when it is necessary. She is one of the only characters who always acknowledge

his presence and asks him for help. There is very little information about how long they have been best friends but she always finds ways to include him in almost everything, even when they are in the hospital.

One of Sam's other friendships is with a troubled boy named, Gareth Visser, also known as Grizz. Unlike Becca, Grizz does not have any disabilities and does not know ASL. He tries to communicate with Sam using hand motions and intimacy but sometimes it is hard to understand his gestures. As their relationship gets stronger, the two boys start to become more than friends and want to be intimate with each other. Grizz takes the initiative to learn sign language so that he can communicate with Sam. However, he makes a big mistake in learning British sign language instead of American Sign language. After learning his mistake, he asks Sam directly so that he can understand him "How do you say 'kiss me?" in ASL. This act of inclusion makes Sam and Grizz's relationship grow stronger but you will have to watch the show to find out what happens to them at the end.

Fun Facts:

-Sean Berdy is best known for his role as Emmett Bledsoe on the hit Freeform show, Switched at Birth. The show won a Peabody award back in for Best Family TV Drama show in 2013.

-Mary Moser from the Cobra Kai Series also has Type One Diabetes like Stacey Mcgill. Mary loves that there is some form of representation out there that she didn't have as a kid to see on TV.

-Shaylee Mansfield who plays Zuzu on Feel the Beat portrayed the first deaf camper on the hit Disney show, Bunk'd.

Questions:

-What are some films from other streaming platforms that include characters who support people with disabilities?

-What other Netflix movies and TV shows do you recommend that have good disability representation?

-What film franchises do you think need more disability representation?