Each week, we ask a member of the college grad student community to share 3 picks related to one of their passions. This week, Counselor Education & Supervision Ph.D. candidate Mudita Jagota shares 3 picks of disability media content:
As an individual with a mobility disability, I am extremely passionate about disability rights. I advocate for people with disabilities on social media and in my conversations with family, friends, peers, classmates, colleagues, and many other people who cross my path every day. In line with this, I deeply care about the portrayal of disability in popular media such as TV shows and movies. I have seen many movies and shows that show disabled protagonists and/or talk about disability issues and concerns. While most of them do not accurately represent the disabled life, some of them have done an amazing job. So, here are my top 3 picks of disability media content:
- Extraordinary Attorney Woo: This is a South Korean TV series highlighting the story of Woo Young-woo, a female attorney with Autism who is hired by a major law firm in Seoul. In my opinion, this is a super cute show with a strong message. This show does an excellent job of highlighting the experiences and challenges faced by autistic individuals, including little everyday struggles of living with a disability, biased societal attitudes, and discriminatory behavior in the workplace. The show is also aimed at busting the myths surrounding disability and disabled folks. In the series, Woo is often seen as “odd, awkward, and blunt” by her colleagues, however, she slowly earns recognition and appreciation from other professionals in the field and her clients by working on each legal case through her intelligence and photographic memory.
- Margarita with a Straw: This is an Indian movie highlighting the story of a teenager, Laila, who lives with Cerebral Palsy. The film is all about disability inclusion, sexuality, love, and self-acceptance. Laila studies at the University of Delhi, India, where she is an aspiring writer and music composer. She is also a part of an indie band in her college and develops feelings for the lead singer in her band but is heartbroken when rejected. Later on, she goes to study at New York University (NYU) for a semester where she explores the complexities of her disabled identity as well as her sexuality while overcoming the challenges posed in this journey.
- The Fundamentals of Caring: As the name suggests, this movie revolves around the concept of professional caregiving and a debate about what the ethical duties of a caregiver are and should involve. This is the story of Trevor, who lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and his caregiver Ben. While initially, Trevor gives a hard time to Ben, both of them work their way around later. Ben decides to take Trevor on a road trip which turns out to be Trevor’s most cherished life event. Trevor goes out of his comfort zone and does things he could never even think of doing before.
Missed last week’s Grad Link? Travon Jefferson shared 3 favorite places to eat in Detroit.