Davis, Taron

Background Children's media both reflects and shapes societal attitudes toward physical disability. Despite its potential impact on self-concept and stigma, longitudinal, data-driven analysis of these portrayals remains scarce. This study aimed to quantify longitudinal trends in the tone and framing of physical disability representation in children's media and to explore implications for pediatric rehabilitation. Methods A quantitative content analysis was conducted on 68 children's media productions (1933–2025) sourced from the Vanderbilt Peabody database. Content was filtered to age-appropriate ratings (G, PG, PG-13, TV-14). Three trained reviewers classified depictions of physical disability by clinical category (e.g., spinal cord injury, limb difference) and tone (Positive, Neutral, Negative) and coded for the presence of rehabilitation themes. Inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.83) was achieved. Statistical testing included Mann-Kendall trend analysis and Fisher's exact tests to compare pre-2000 vs post-2000 portrayals. Results Positive portrayals increased significantly from pre-2000 (63%) to post-2000 (90%) (p = 0.01). A consistent upward trend across decades was confirmed (Z = 3.47, p < 0.01). Spinal cord injury was the most frequently depicted disability (40%); rehabilitation themes appeared in 24% of productions, more commonly post-2000. Productions with rehabilitation content were more likely to feature positive portrayals (94% vs 89%). Conclusions Over nine decades, children's media has shifted toward more affirming representations of physical disability, particularly after 2000. Findings suggest that pediatric rehabilitation providers can use positive media examples to reinforce therapeutic engagement, normalize assistive devices, and address stigma in age-appropriate ways.