Netflix will release the miniseries The Light You Can’t See on Thursday, November 2, a major fall bet. Based on Anthony Doerr’s best-selling novel, a Pulitzer Prize winner, the project was brought to screen by Steven Knight, known for Peaky Blinders, with adaptation that follows a girl and her father as they flee Nazi-occupied Paris. The cast features prominent names, including Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie, while the central role is portrayed by two fresh blind actresses representing different life stages: Aria Mia Loberti and Nell Sutton.
When film and television still sit comfortably beside adaptations, casting a blind lead remains uncommon. This story isn’t about blindness; it’s about human resilience in dire times. Blindness is not the defining feature of the protagonist, though it shapes how she experiences the world. Loberti emphasizes the importance of authentic representation, arguing that everyone should be able to see themselves in these stories.
Placing a performer who truly represents the character helps ensure the storytelling reflects truth. The goal, Loberti suggests, is to illuminate human nature and shared experiences rather than follow a formula. The production aims to include broad audiences in its art, showcasing narratives that matter while highlighting the actor who performed the action-packed scenes.
Inclusion
There is a common misconception that blind people lack physical capability, a myth contradicted by the visible power of Paralympic athletes. Joe Strechay, a consultant on accessibility and blindness, guided the team from writing to on-set practices, ensuring respectful and accurate portrayal.
Strechay notes that The Light You Can’t See offers a window into how people lived during World War II. The story presents blindness not as a mere detail but as a facet of real lives, argued the consultant, who is himself blind and has deep expertise in disability inclusion in entertainment.
For many involved, committing to acting and storytelling without full sight or hearing is a substantial choice. Carlos Soroa, who plays Eloy in Welcome to Eden, reflects on the challenges and opportunities of disability in the industry. The deaf actress who joined the cast found that opportunities broaden when authentic casting gains momentum, reshaping lives through fiction.
We Exist in Society
The commitment to acting as a primary vocation remains strong, but access to opportunities still lags. There is a call for more daring creators, producers, platforms, and networks to collaborate with disabled performers. The industry recognizes that society is full of stories waiting to be told, and representation matters everywhere it appears.
Progress has been made since earlier decades, though the path to broad inclusion remains unfinished. The visibility of disabled performers in cinema and theater has improved, but there is still work to do. Actors with disabilities now appear more frequently in leading or supporting roles, countering earlier patterns where non-disabled actors filled these parts. The legacy of pioneers like Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur underscores what is possible when talent, opportunity, and advocacy converge.
Without Taboo and Heroism
Disability representation is expanding, yet the industry still has a long way to go before portraying disability as just another facet of a person, with its light and shadow, rather than a defining tag. The focus remains on normality and diversity, free of tropes that reduce people to mere symbols, according to Angel Luis Gómez Blázquez, executive director of sociocultural and sports promotion.
The aim is for productions to treat disability as an ordinary part of the human experience, with no taboos and no insistence on heroism as the only narrative frame. This perspective invites audiences to see people with disabilities as full participants in society, with stories that reflect everyday life and unique perspectives alike.