People with Disabilities


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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Interviewees discuss the portrayal of people with disabilities on television.

Highlights
Geri Jewell on being the first visible character with a disability on a television series on The Facts of Life
02:36
Garry Marshall on violinist Itzhak Perlman not being approved to guest on an Odd Couple episode because of his physical disability
00:44
Marian Rees on executive producing "Love Is Never Silent" for Hallmark Hall of Fame  and her struggle with the network to cast deaf actors in lead roles
09:26
William Schallert on starting the Committee for Performers with Disabilities
05:01
Nanette Fabray on her difficulty with her hearing, and on her participation in issues involving the deaf community
06:26
Ron Howard on the television movie Skyward and the casting of a disabled ingenue
01:50
Who talked about this topic

Sharon Bialy

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Sharon Bialy on the large, diverse cast of The Walking Dead
01:42
Sharon Bialy on how opportunities have changed for actors since she started in the industry -- more inclusion now
00:43

Walter Dishell

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Walter Dishell on the impact of the breast cancer episode of Medical Center
06:25

Nanette Fabray

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Nanette Fabray on her difficulty with her hearing, and on her participation in issues involving the deaf community
06:26
Nanette Fabray on appearing on The Carol Burnett Show and doing sign language for the first time on television, and promoting sign language on television
03:53
Nanette Fabray on her guest appearance as stroke survivor on Maude in the episode "Maude's Reunion"
03:35

Ron Howard

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Ron Howard on the television movie Skyward and the casting of an ingenue with a disability
01:50

Geri Jewell

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Geri Jewell on dreaming of being a television actress when she was young, and how this dream related to her cerebral palsy
01:36
Geri Jewell on the first time she did stand-up comedy, and how she talked about cerebral palsy in her routine
05:57
Geri Jewell on being the first visible character with a disability on a television series on The Facts of Life
02:36
Geri Jewell on having to perform a dance number on the first The Facts of Life episode on which she appeared ("Cousin Geri")
03:26
Geri Jewell on the impact of her visibility as a person with a disability on The Facts of Life
03:54
Geri Jewell on her experience with "overnight fame" and the impact of her visibility as a person with a disability
02:54
Geri Jewell on the impact of her role on The Facts of Life and appearing on Norman Lear's special I Love Liberty
06:18
Geri Jewell on her feelings about actors without disabilities playing characters with disabilities
04:14
Geri Jewell on the difficulty she faced while filming a scene with Peter DeLuise on 21 Jump Street
02:33
Geri Jewell on filming the Deadwood episode "Jewel's Boot Is Made for Walking" and how show creator/director David Milch coaxed a reaction from her
03:55
Geri Jewell on advice for aspiring actors
02:45
Geri Jewell on being the first visible character with a disability on a television series on The Facts of Life
02:36

Elodie Keene

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Elodie Keene on directing scenes on Switched at Birth in sign language
02:31

Judith Light

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Judith Light on starring in A Step Toward Tomorrow with Christopher Reeve
02:49

William H. Macy

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William H. Macy on the TV movie Door to Door, which he co-wrote and starred in, and which was based on the true story of Bill Porter, a door-to-door salesman who had cerebral palsy
03:06

Garry Marshall

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Garry Marshall on violinist Itzhak Perlman not being approved to guest on an Odd Couple episode because of his physical disability
00:44

Bob McGrath

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Bob McGrath on memories working with guest star Linda Bove on Sesame Street and the far-reaching impact of an episode about hearing impairment
01:31

Marian Rees

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Marian Rees on executive producing "Love Is Never Silent" for Hallmark Hall of Fame  and her struggle with the network to cast deaf actors in lead roles
09:26

William Schallert

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William Schallert on starting the Committee for Performers with Disabilities
05:01

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