There are millions of children around the world with special needs, and they need someone or something to relate to whenever they watch TV or movies. That is why two mothers are petitioning Disney to create a special needs character with Down syndrome in one of its latest films.
We stand behind these parents as we believe every child in the world should have a character on TV or in film that they can relate to in many ways.
The proponents are Keston Ott-Dahl and her partner Andrea. Their child Delaney Ott-Dahl, who is only 16 months old, suffers from Down syndrome. They want her to grow up as a person who feels empowered, without ever having to come across abuse.
We should point out that the parents' petition is not a demand to Disney; the parents have even complimented the company for the work it has done to help children.
"Disney does a great job of depicting right from wrong. It has long [been] providing wonderful moral lessons that teach our children to be good people -- but sadly, the company comes up short in one critical area. Its movies have almost no representation of disabled people; those often bullied and looked down upon by their fellow children. What wonderful lessons of diversity, compassion, and acceptance Disney could teach our kids if they promoted disabled characters as heroes and heroines in their beloved movies!"
We are not certain if Disney's creation of a character with Down syndrome would allow children with another disability to relate to the character, but it would be a welcomed start nonetheless.
At the end of the day, though, one should realize that it might take a very long time for Disney to consider even going this route since the company's main concern is its bottom line. A lead character in an animated film might not possess the power to make $1 billion at the box office.
The petition has about 68,000 signatures. For those who would like to take part, the petition can be found here.
