Disability is an issue, in certain ways, like race or gender. If you are in the minority (or ‘better’) group, you don’t have to acknowledge it. You don’t have to deal with the fact that many buildings don’t have wheelchair capabilities or automatic doors or elevators. Because most people can walk and open their own doors and do stairs. But not everyone can.

With that said, a wonderful new show is coming to ABC. “Speechless” is the story of a family of five--a mother, father, daughter and two sons, one of which happens to be differently abled. JJ Dimeo is a sixteen year old boy, played by Micah Fowler, who has cerebral palsy and is consequently wheelchair bound and nonverbal. The story follows his entire family as they navigate JJ’s illness and family in general.

While the show doesn’t officially premiere until September 21^st, the first episode is available on the ABC app. It deals in a genius yet comic way, with family dynamics and the complications that can arise when you have a disabled body in an able-bodied world.

I enjoyed every moment of “Speechless,” but the following moments were to me, the most genius facets of the half hour.

1. Addressing handicapped parking spots.

The first scene of the show ends with the Dimeo family, in their van, pulling into the handicapped parking spot of a restaurant. Immediately, an elderly woman pulls up next to them and berates them because they don’t have a handicapped license plate. She yells because they can’t possibly expect her to walk all the way inside from a farther spot. Comically, she stops yelling as soon as she sees JJ’s wheelchair ramp lowering and realizes what she’s done. The show portrayed it in a funny way, but this is a real issue for people all over the world. If a car is parked in a handicapped spot and its inhabitant is not obviously visibly disabled, it’s not uncommon to be questioned. Needless to say, it’s bad enough being handicapped without having to convince someone else of your illness.

2. JJ’s ability to have a voice.

This was the part of the show that spoke to me the most. The most important part of the Dimeo’s moving schools in the premiere episode is for JJ. Since he is nonverbal, he uses a board with words on it and a laser attached to his glasses to speak. But someone obviously needs to be around to read what he is trying to say. This new school will provide a permanent aid for him so that he is finally able to speak. At 16-years-old, JJ finally gets to have a voice in school. That was an incredibly sad reality for JJ’s character and something that certain kids really do have to deal with. Kudos to this show for shedding light on it.

3. The illusion of inclusion.

I think we all fall into the trap of thinking that we are wholly compassionate and inclusive of all people, but our actions contradict that. This applies to much more than disability. When the Dimeo family arrives at their new school, they are greeted by the principal who brags about the wonderfully accepting environment they provide. She even boasts about how they’ve changed their mascot to become more gender inclusive. However, a wheelchair ramp is not provided for JJ. He is forced to use the ramp that the janitorial staff uses to remove trash from the property. JJ’s mother Maya, played by Minnie Driver then engages in a hilarious argument with the principal about the difference between garbage and people.

4. The constant rounds of applause.

At one point in the show, JJ receives a standing ovation from his entire classroom and teacher and they praise him for being inspirational. What elicits that, you may ask? He enters the classroom. That’s it. He literally goes inside. This is not uncommon for people with disabilities. If you stand back up after you fall (http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/paralympian-falls-gets-back-up-during-inspirational-opening-ceremony-moment/), you’re inspirational. No one would clap if an able bodied person stood back up after falling. It’s obvious that people with disabilities must be strong to deal with their illnesses. But no one wants to be applauded for simply entering a room, not even a differently-abled person.

5. They hired someone with a disability.

It is a nasty habit of Hollywood’s to hire able-bodied actors to play disabled characters. This might seem harmless. But there is a pack of disabled actors around who have a very limited pool of roles to choose from. The casting department at Speechless obviously understood this and could not have done a better job in casting JJ than they did with Micah Fowler. In real life, Micah Fowler is afflicted with the same illness as his character--cerebral palsy. However, Fowler is verbal in real life and his character JJ cannot speak. And even without lines, Fowler steals the show. His expressions and body language actually made me laugh out loud. You don’t want to miss him in this show.