Star Trek Was Among the Best Franchises at Representing People With Disabilities—Until Star Trek Beyond; Slate, 7/26/16

Marissa Martinelli, Slate; Star Trek Was Among the Best Franchises at Representing People With Disabilities—Until Star Trek Beyond:

"When Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966, its inclusivity was groundbreaking. The show featured a black female communications officer, a Japanese helmsman, and a Russian navigator (an unthinkable addition, during the Cold War).* Subsequent Treks strove to expand on creator Gene Roddenberry’s initial vision: Deep Space Nine gave us the first black man to lead a Star Trek series, while Voyager saw the first female captain at the center of the action...

To its credit, Beyond includes more women in substantial roles and has even subtly established the franchise’s first mainstream, openly gay character. But Star Trek has always been about boldly going where no man has gone before, not taking baby steps, and the new movies are missing out on a huge opportunity to give screentime to a group that’s often completely left out of conversations about representation, one that has long played a role in the Star Trek universe: people with disabilities."