When “Bridgerton” creator Jess Brownell and her team began production on season 3 of the popular Netflix and Shondaland program, they said they were “very intentional” about diversity. For that reason, disability representation has taken on a more prominent and celebrated role this season.
Viewers may have noticed that Lord Remington, played by disabled actor Zak Ford-Williams, uses a historically correct wheelchair in the episode. “The wheelchair that you see is what a wheelchair looks like in that time,” Brownell said. Zak Ford-Williams has cerebral palsy.
Miss Dolores Stowell, played by Kitty Devlin, communicates with her mother using British Sign Language. Brownell said that making the sign language historically accurate was tricky. According to University College London, there was no standardized sign language in Britain until the early 1800s. Instead, families utilized a home sign language, which they would have constructed and passed down through generations, Brownell explained. Instead, “Bridgerton” writers chose current British Sign Language, relying on the potential for audiences to “see themselves represented in a way that they could connect to,” Brownell noted.
Some viewers wondered if Francesca Bridgerton and her love interest, Lord Kilmartin, were neurodivergent, which is a question writers ask themselves in the writers room, according to Brownell. Brownell said she’s very faithfully translated from author Julia Quinn’s novel series, which features a profound love of music, an introverted personality, and a family that is constantly in upheaval.
The “Bridgerton” universe has frequently addressed disability representation, such as Lady Danbury’s cane use and King George’s mental illness. However, the show does more than merely embrace disability representation on television. It also ensures that the show is accessible by making open audio descriptions and open captions available in 14 languages.
Sarah Fischer, one of the show’s main producers, is a co-founder of the 1in4 Coalition, a “intersectional coalition of disabled creatives,” according to their website, which works to guarantee honest and appropriate coverage of disabilities in the media. According to Brownell, the team worked with 1in4 Coalition consultants to create the new characters.
According to the CDC, one in every four adults in the United States has a disability, accounting for approximately 27% of the total population. However, according to Nielsen study data from 2022, they account for less than 1% of onscreen visible representation.
The 1in4 Coalition praised the “Bridgerton” staff for making the show and set more inclusive. They wrote an Instagram post, just after the season 3 debut. “Thank you Shondaland team, which includes 1IN4 co-founder Sara Fischer, for including disability representation in the series and making sets accessible!” they wrote.
Disabled people don’t need to be kept away from society. It would have meant so much to me if I’d seen disabled people on TV or in the workforce when I was growing up. Shows like Bridgeton will show disabled people that they belong on TV.
Sources:
Alfonseca, Kiara. “‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 Captures Disability, Neurodiversity in Regency Era.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 13 June 2024, abcnews.go.com/amp/GMA/Culture/bridgerton-season-3-uplifts-disability-neurodiversity-explore-lgbtq/story?id=110980876.
“Disability Impacts All of Us Infographic.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 May 2023, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html.
“Seen on Screen: The Importance of Disability Representation.” Nielsen, Nielsen, 8 Dec. 2022, http://www.nielsen.com/insights/2022/the-importance-of-disability-representation/.
Stiles, H Dominic W. “A Brief History of BSL.” UCL Ear Institute Action on Hearing Loss Libraries , University College London , 6 July 2012, blogs.ucl.ac.uk/library-rnid/2012/07/06/a-brief-history-of-bsl/.