What's Remarkable About Christopher Diaz's Storyline on 9-1-1

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I've been a fan of 9-1-1 since season 1 featured Alice Kina Diehl (as emergency dispatcher, Stephanie Gaskins).  Season 2 saw the addition of Gavin McHugh as Christopher Diaz (firefighter Eddie Diaz's 8-year-old son).  What makes these casting choices notable?  Both actors have CP.  It's been amazing to watch Gavin on screen every week - to see someone with my CP has been so validating.

Episode 3x01, "Kids Today", (which premiered on September 23) ended with a tsunami imminent and Christopher visiting the pier with firefighter Evan Buckley.  We see Buck toss Christopher over his shoulder, and book it as fast as he can off the pier.

3x02, "Sink or Swim," (which aired on September 30), begins like this:

What's remarkable about this?

Well, a lot.

NORMALIZATION OF HELPING DISABLED PEOPLE IN EMERGENCIES:
Disabled life does have value, even if we cannot contribute to society in traditional ways.  That's shown here, in Christopher's fight to stay alive, Buck lifting him to safety on top of a firetruck.  It might seem like, "Of course, Buck would help Christopher!" But a portrayal like this is the exception, not the rule.

The truth is, disabled people are often not considered in emergencies.  We are left behind, and even reprimanded for trying to save ourselves.  There's often no protocol for disabled children in lockdowns or fire drills.  Disabled adults are left behind in natural disasters and states of emergency.

9-1-1 choosing to portray Christopher not as an afterthought or a burden is significant in the lives of people with disabilities because seeing media depictions in popular culture is often what begins the shift in conversation and culture.

'HE MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS':
That shift is already evident on social media.

Last night, when I braced myself and checked Twitter for fans' reactions to the episode, I was nervous.  Because even as recently as two years ago, portrayal of disabled characters was frighteningly ableist.  When this happens, the public reacts accordingly.  (If they see a disabled person portrayed as a burden, for example, the public is not going to value that character.)  Needless to say, I was so pleasantly surprised to see the public's response this time around.

You can glimpse the same goodness that I did in this article:  9-1-1 Fans Rally Around Christopher After Dramatic Tsunami Cliffhanger: 'He Must Be Protected At All Costs!' So often, in media, like the popular book Me Before You we see the trope that disabled people are better off dead than disabled.  It is beyond refreshing to see fans rooting for Christopher's survival and angry about his being unprotected.

KIDS WITH CP AND NEAR-DROWNINGS:
Finally, this episode raises important awareness about kids with CP and near-drownings.

I nearly drowned at 13 years old on a family vacation.  The innertube I was in was ripped away from me by a wave.  I sat in the hip-deep water, the surface just above my head.  I couldn't stand up without my crutches and I didn't have them with me.  My twin sister (who also has CP) is the person I credit for saving my life.  She was able to get me to the surface a few times to breathe, in time for someone else to notice and come and help me walk to shore.

This hasn't happened just to me.  This has happened to other people with CP during childhood as well.  And as difficult as it was for me to watch this episode, I was glad to see all these things represented because it really drives home the point: whether a kid with CP is 8 years old like Christopher, or 13 like I was?  If that kid cannot swim, they need a life jacket on at all times near water.  And in an emergency situation, like in the episode, we need an adult who can swim and support us.

Representation like this matters because it draws attention to real life issues that often are just not spoken about.  They're swept under the metaphorical rug, and then they keep happening.  Disabled people keep not being thought of in emergencies.  We keep being looked upon like we are burdens.  We keep nearly-drowning.

My hope is that this episode can maybe help these things happen less often.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
At the end of 3x02, we see that Christopher has fallen off the firetruck into the water again.  Buck can't find him.  But if I had any doubt about Christopher's survival, you can bet I would not be posting this blog.

We have a long way to go.  The face of disability in the media is still overwhelmingly white and male.  90-some percent of disabled characters are traditionally played by nondisabled actors.

But this is definitely movement in the right direction.

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