ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at a number of demographic features of this sample, namely, the sex ratio, the age distribution, the ethnic origin and the socio-economic status of disabled and non-disabled characters. It explores the relationships in which the characters were involved and whether they were married; the kinds of personality traits which they exhibited; and the attitudes which other people showed towards them. When US productions contained disabled people they were more likely than UK productions to include younger disabled people in the storyline. In US productions 96 per cent of all characters were white, 4 per cent black and there were no Asian or Oriental characters. There was a larger percentage of UK disabled characters than US disabled characters so classified. Disabled characters in US productions were more likely to be treated like any other person or with respect, and were less likely to be abused, pitied, mocked or patronised than were disabled characters in UK productions.
