Improbable Press Blog — Sebastian Jack’s Guide to Writing Characters with Physical Disabilities

By Sebastian Jack Hi! My name is Sebastian Jack, I’m a bilateral, above-knee amputee, and I use a wheelchair full-time. 15% of the world’s population (one billion people!) live with some form of disability. One fifth of them (between 110 – 190 million people) experience significant or profound disability. So, why don’t 15% of our fictional characters have disabilities? If you’re interested in writing complex, nuanced, disabled characters, here are some tips to get you started in the right direction! First things first: What is your character’s disability, and how did they acquire it? Do they have an amputation? If...