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Disability

The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative began assessing the depictions of characters with disabilities in the 100 top-grossing films of 2015. Only 2.4% of all speaking characters were shown with a disability. The following studies include information on characters with disabilities. In 2019, the Initiative released its first study on the prevalence and portrayal of mental health conditions in media.

Yearly Reports on Characters with Disabilities On-Screen in Film

2020: Inequality in 1,300 Popular Films

  • Annual report on gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT status, and disability in film. Includes data on representation and employment patterns in popular films (2007-2019).

View previous reports:

Prevalence and Portrayal of Mental Health Conditions On-Screen in Film &TV

2019: Mental Health Conditions in Film & TV: Portrayals that Dehumanize and Trivialize Characters

  • The study examined 100 top-grossing films and 50 popular TV series to understand the prevalence and context of mental health conditions in entertainment. The study was conducted in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and funded by the David and Lura Lovell Foundation.

Inclusion in Netflix Series & Films

Inclusion in Netflix Series and Films

2023: Inclusion in Netflix Series and Films: 2018–2021

  • The Initiative analyzed Netflix’s U.S. original live-action films (249) and series (297) from 2018 to 2021. The study examined on-screen inclusion across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and disability. Behind the camera, gender and race/ethnicity of key personnel were assessed.
  • Read the original executive summary, covering films and series from 2018 and 2019 and the full report.