▁from ▁disabled ▁people ." ▁▁ ▁In ▁Special , ▁the ▁lead ▁character ▁Ryan ▁mis le ads ▁his ▁cow ork ers ▁that ▁his ▁lim p ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁car ▁accident ▁instead ▁of ▁his ▁c ere br al ▁p als y . ▁The ▁show ▁is ▁largely ▁based ▁on ▁O ' Con nell . ▁He ▁uses ▁the ▁show ▁to ▁" expl ore ▁his ▁own ▁internal ized ▁able ism ▁and ▁inse cur ities ▁of ▁being ▁in ▁the ▁gay ▁community ". ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Rud erman ▁Family ▁Foundation ▁study ▁found ▁that ▁" about ▁ 9 5 % ▁of ▁characters ▁with ▁dis abilities ▁on ▁television ▁are ▁played ▁by ▁able - b od ied ▁actors ". ▁In cluding ▁actors ▁with ▁dis abilities ▁is ▁still ▁rare ▁in ▁entertain ment ▁indust ries ; ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁Ali ▁St ro ker ▁was ▁“ the ▁first ▁person ▁in ▁a ▁wheel ch air ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁Tony ▁Award ” ; ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Marvel ▁made ▁history ▁announ cing ▁a ▁de af ▁super h ero , ▁a ▁first ; ▁and ▁A MC ' s ▁The ▁Walk ing ▁Dead ▁and ▁H BO ' s ▁Years ▁and ▁Years ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁few ▁opening ▁their ▁casting . ▁ ▁Although ▁he ▁looked ▁for ▁an ▁actor , ▁ultimately ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁role ▁himself ▁due ▁to ▁budget ▁constraints . ▁The ▁eight - ep is ode ▁season ▁was ▁shot ▁over ▁nin ete en ▁works ▁days . ▁They ▁fil med ▁with ▁Austin , ▁Texas ▁dou bling ▁for ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California ,