Jeff Mouse
After hearing how excited Samuel Krauss was for people to meet Jeff Mouse, I went into this episode of Donkey Hodie with high expectations. Donkey Hodie is an Emmy®-winning puppet series inspired by the funny, quirky side of Fred Rogers produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures for PBS KIDS. Knowing that Krauss, an alumnus of the 2022 Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab and the 2023 National Leadership Program, consulted on the episode gave me a lot of hope for the quality of disability representation, and I was not disappointed.
In this preschool series inspired by characters created by Fred Rogers, Donkey Hodie and her friends Bob Dog, Purple Panda, and Duck Duck empower kids to dream big and overcome obstacles in their own lives.
The show is introducing a new character – Jeff Mouse – in a new episode called “Hee-Hee Hider Seekers.” Jeff Mouse is an intrepid explorer and avid nature lover. He was born with congenital muscular dystrophy. Jeff is named in honor of Jeff Erlanger, a young guest who appeared on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in 1981. In this episode, Jeff and Purple Panda both use accessibility tools to help them on their adventure. Jeff’s grabber and binoculars and Panda’s telescope are all shown as just part of how the characters experience the world. For young viewers, seeing such tools framed as everyday supports destigmatizes them and builds early disability awareness, acceptance, and advocacy. [continue reading…]
On behalf of Disability Belongs™, a diverse, nonpartisan, disability-led nonprofit that drives cultural and policy change, we express deep concern about proposed federal budget cuts to essential programs that millions of Americans rely on—especially people with disabilities, older adults, and underserved communities.
