"The Messy Middle" presented with DREDF&DMAP (Season 10) - a podcast by ATX Television Festival

While overall representation of disabilities on TV is slowly but surely improving, many series still tend to depict characters with visible disabilities as the Tragic Victim or the Heroic Martyr -- but rarely are they depicted as people, with all the complexities that entails. We sat down with the writers and actors who are exploring the uncharted territory of the "messy middle," where characters with disabilities are just as flawed, funny, and despicable as anyone else. They also discuss how creatives can push beyond the fear of getting it “wrong” when it comes to disability representation, and what getting it “right” actually means. Co-presented by DREDF's Disability Media Alliance Project (DMAP) and The Syndication Project.

This panel originally aired on June 12, 2021, as part of ATX TV Festival Season 10.

PANELISTS:

• Steve Way (Actor, RAMY)
• Sofiya Cheyenne (Actor, LOUDERMILK)
• Ryan J. Haddad (Actor, THE POLITICIAN)
• Katherine Beattie (Writer/Producer, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS)
• Kayla Cromer (Actor, EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE OK)

MODERATOR: Kristen Lopez (IndieWire)

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