How Can Disability Representation in Media be Improved?

I want disabled characters that are portrayed as leaders instead of dead weight.

I want fewer stories focused on disabled characters overcoming or accepting their disability.

I want disabled characters don’t go through an emotional crisis because of their disability.

I want supporting characters who don’t tell the disabled character to “stay positive”.

I want a disabled character to be the protagonist.

I want authors to stop writing stories where a disabled character kills themselves.

I want disabled characters to swear vengeance on the thing that didn’t put them in a wheelchair, for once.

I want a disabled character that is competent in the face of physical danger. I’m tired of them being the hacker or sidekick that feeds information to the “real heroes”.

I want writers to stop using disability as the ultimate tragedy. Becoming disabled is not the worse thing that can happen to someone.

I want able‐bodied authors to research and create realistic disabled characters. I want them to hire a sensitivity editor to make sure there’s no harmful tropes or stereotypes in their story. If the editor does find something, I want the author to listen to the feedback and apply it.

I want authors who are not disabled to stop writing stories about what it is like to live with a disability. Instead, they should support disabled authors who do write that kind of story.