People With Disabilities Say What They Want To See In Comics

    "It's possible to have a disabled character and not talk about their disability."

    by
    Will Varner
    by Will Varner

    BuzzFeed Staff

    ,
    Nora Whelan
    by Nora Whelan

    BuzzFeed Staff

    One of the most thought-provoking panels at New York Comic Con this year was Where Are All The Wheelchairs?

    Will Varner / BuzzFeed

    We asked panelists and guests how they would like to see people with disabilities reflected in comics, and these were their responses:

    1. Day Al-Mohamed, author and disability advocate

    Will Varner / BuzzFeed

    "I would actually be happy to just see more people with disabilities represented in comics! We’re there. We’re in the real world. Have us be superheroes, super villains, I’d even love seeing us as little characters in the background.”

    2. Jillian Mercado, model and activist

    Will Varner / BuzzFeed

    "I want to see characters that are extremely BADASS.”

    3. Maysoon Zayid, actress and comedian

    Will Varner / BuzzFeed

    "What I’d like to see are characters that are actually mainstream. I want to see people with disabilities become so mainstream that it is no longer an event when we have a disabled character. And when I see it played in a live-action role I want to see disabled actors playing disabled parts.”

    4. Dominick Evans, filmmaker and activist

    Facebook: dominickmevans

    "I really love what Gail Simone has been doing with disabled characters. Vengeance Moth of The Movement is one of my favorite all-time comic book characters. Her wheelchair is a part of her image as a superhero. It isn't hidden. It isn't disregarded. Gail reached out to the disability community. She wanted to include us in her storytelling, because it isn't about us, without us.”

    5. Renee Brown, panel attendee

    Will Varner / BuzzFeed

    "Disabilities are so super scary because you have to move on once you get one. How do you do that? What do you do? How do you even act? You have to find that community that will support you and tell you that you’re not going crazy, it’s okay, you can do this. And I would love to see that in a comic.”

    6. Steve Way, stand-up comedian and motivational speaker

    Will Varner / BuzzFeed

    "I would like to see people with disabilities reflected in media just like everyone else. It is possible to have a disabled character and not talk about their disability.”