Disability in TV Drama

Game of Thrones - Tyrion Lannister

Despite the character of Tyrion being disabled, due to having dwarfism, his character is not hindered. The usual stereotype of a disabled character being weak and useless is broken by Tyrion, with his character having one of the best minds in the show as he takes up positions like Hand of the King, due to his power and mind. He also is one of the richest characters in the show, showing more of his power. However, despite that, his treatment from other characters is harsh due to his disability, with him being called insulting names like 'Imp' or 'Halfman' and even being disowned by his own father, Tywin.

Agents of SHIELD - Phil Coulson

The character of Coulson wasn't disabled until the season 2 finale, where he lost his left hand. Since the loss of his hand, the character hasn't been as much of an action hero as he was, perhaps showing that the disability has weakened him and disabled him from his previous life. However, he infrequently does become an action hero, even using his prosthetic hand to kill someone, showing part of his previous life being re-enabled. The other characters don't treat him any differently to before due to his disability, showing a break of the stereotype that disabled people get treated differently.


Star Trek: The Next Generation - Geordi La Forge

The character of La Forge is blind, seeing through the aid of a special visor. Despite the difference in appearance, the character isn't hindered by his disability, still being essential to the Enterprise's mission. Most characters don't treat him any differently due to his disability but occasionally he is mistreated by other characters due to his disability.