I am currently exploring how those with mental disabilities are being portrayed and represented in our current pop culture. In 2016, ABC introduced a new television show, ‘Speechless’. The story revolves around a teenage boy, JJ who is living with cerebral palsy and the daily struggles that arise surrounding his disability. The show provides witty humor to lighten the plot, as the storyline is relatable and a constant across across the country. This is the first major production to have such an influence on disabilities since the film ‘Rain Man’ in 1988. While many may think that the show is making fun of a child living with a disorder and the many challenges they may face, it is quite the contrary. The characters surrounding JJ encourage a lifestyle in which someone who is handi-capable is able to live anormal life and be given the same opportunities as a person who is living without a disability. The first episode, the DiMeo family moves to a new school district that will provide proper accommodations for JJ in a better education environment. Maya, JJ’s mother wanted to ensure that he was given the opportunity to express his own thoughts and words by giving him an aid to speak on his behalf. She went above and beyond to ensure that her son was given every equal opportunity at the school where she was also enrolling her other two children who were not handi-capable. Maya pushed for something that all people need to remember: we are all equals and we deserve to be treated as such. Special education is largely looked over in school systems, and many special needs students are not given the proper attention and assistance they so desperately need. However, Speechless does an exemplary job of showing how a simple deed of allowing a student who cannot speak for themselves and to be given a provider can positively impact one’s everyday life. #GWS201002
