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First Disabled Muppet
Ernie and Bert; Image by NDR/Sesame Workshop
Elin will be a permanent character in the German show. She isn’t only occurring once for the annual celebration of the international day of People with Disabilities but will be included in all activities at the Sesamstraße. “And there is no particular focus on her disability. You can see that she has one, but it is not constantly dis- cussed in the show,” Schaar says. Elin’s disability is a part of who she is but not the center of attention, even though some episodes try to naturally bring in topics such as accessibility. For instance, in one episode, Elin and her friends are building soap boxes, but there is no hill around, so they discuss they might need a motor or won’t be able to compete. Elin says she’d prefer a chain drive like those on bikes to protect the environment. Her friends agree. However, they all stare at Elin, question- ing how she would ride a bike since she cannot paddle with her legs. Finally, they realize even though Elin can- not ride a regular bike, she can certainly use a hand bike. Her disability is casually mentioned in that con- text, but then everyone moves on to build their soapbox- es for the competition, and Elin gets one with a hand drive. “It was long overdue that a disabled character moves into the German Sesamstraße because the show might be the very first time children come in contact with the topic of disability, and then we want to present it in a potential-oriented, positive but non-inspirational,
solution-oriented, pragmatic and unemotional way,” Schaar states. “We need to break the taboos around dis- ability and show that living with a disability isn’t sad or unfortunate; it can be cool!”
Who Is Elin?
Elin is Elmo’s best friend. She loves technology and everything that has to do with science, technology, engi- neering, and math (STEM). She’s a bit cheeky and sometimes thinks too fast, so she cannot find the right words. “Elin loves to tinker, which is unfortunate for her parents because once she lost one wheel of her wheel- chair. But she promised to never do that again,” Schaar laughs. Additionally, Elin has Turkish roots. Her grand- parents immigrated to Germany from Turkey. “This opens up other options for us to discuss different areas of diversity in the future,” he adds. The NDR finished filming its 50th season at the end of March 2023. Elin makes her first appearance with Krümelmonster (Cook- ie Monster) in a game show episode called Prima Klima, which addresses environmental issues and pro- tection.
Nothing About Us, Without Us
Schaar brings in his personal experience to ensure Elin accurately represents people with disabilities. “Every
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