While not everyone suffers from a disability, approximately 16% of the global population experience a significant disability, according to the World Health Organisation. This means that roughly 1 in every 6 people will have a disability. In South Africa, approximately more than 10 million individuals of the population live with disabilities.

As such, to spread disability awareness, South Africa runs a monthly disability awareness month from 3 November, ending on 3 December, which is international disability awareness day. In media, while there is some disability representation, there isn’t a lot. Luckily, with anime, there has been an increase in recent years of anime that represent disabilities, and below are eight such anime for you to watch.



A Sign of Affection
Studio: Ajiado



Disability: Yuki Itose has congenital hearing loss.

A Sign of Affection follows college student Yuki Itose, who has congenital hearing loss. Her means of communication is limited to sign language, lip reading, and text. One day on the train, she is placed in an uncomfortable situation when someone she assumes is English asks her for directions. She is saved when upperclassman Itsuomi Nagi steps in to help the stranger. After that, the two start seeing more of each other around, and Itsuomi learns sign language to gain access into Yuki’s world, while also showing a new world to Yuki.

A Sign of Affection is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Watch time: 12 episodes of 24 minutes each – just under 5 hours.

A Silent Voice
Studio: Kyoto Animation



Disability: Shoko Nishimiya is deaf.

Now a loner high school student after solely taking the blame for bullying Shoko Nishimiya in middle school, Shoya Ishida believes suicide is the only way out from his life. He decides to reconcile with those he wronged, and starts with Shoko, whom he realises is still a loner as well due to her shyness. Shoya befriends Shoko, and so follows a journey of redemption, friendship, and healing.

A Silent Voice is unavailable to stream in South Africa, but it is a well-known disability anime film.

Watch time: 130 minutes.

Dororo (2019)
Studio: Tezuka Productions and MAPPA



Disability: Hyakkimaru has prosthetic limbs and is somewhat blind.

During Japan’s Muromachi period, or the Warring States period, a lord makes a deal with 12 demons to protect his lands, offering up his unborn son in exchange. The child is born missing limbs and eyes, and is set adrift to be sent away. He is found by a doctor who specialises in prosthetics, and the doctor provides new limbs for the child. Years later, a young boy named Dororo meets Hyakkimaru, a young man with blades for arms and eyes that are able to see demons. The two set out on a journey to regain Hyakkimaru’s body, fighting demons along the way.

Dororo is available to stream on Prime Video SA.

Watch time: 24 episodes of 25 minutes each – 10 hours.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Studio: Bones



Disability: Edward lost his left leg, and sacrificed his right arm (to save Alphonse), and Alphonse lost his body, his soul now attached to a suit of armour.

After a failed alchemical transmutation, Edward and Alphonse Elric are left missing some limbs, and a whole body, respectively. In order to get their bodies back, the two decide to become government-sanctioned State Alchemists and receive more training in alchemy. In doing so, they uncover various plots, including a government cover-up, a scarred serial killer’s quest for revenge, and their father’s history.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is available to stream on Netflix SA.

Watch time: 64 episodes of 24 minutes each – just over 25 and a half hours.

In/Spectre
Studio: Brain’s Base



Disability: Kotoko Iwanaga has a prosthetic eye and leg.

Kotoko Iwanaga is known in both the real world and supernatural world as a Goddess of Wisdom, and helps solve the problems of the yokai of the supernatural world. She is obsessed with Kuro Sakuragawa, a half-human, half-yokai with his own set of supernatural powers, and recruits him to help her solve and investigate various problems and urban legends.

In/Spectre is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Watch time: 12 episodes of 25 minutes each – just under 5 hours.

Kunon the Sorcerer Can See
Studio: Platinum Vision



Disability: Kunon is blind.

Born blind, Kunon is a young man who wants to study magic so that he can make use of water magic to craft new eyes for himself, a feat which has never been performed. After 5 months of studying sorcery under his mentor, Kunon surpasses him and continues to study magic due to his innate talent. His curiosity and drive to pursue magic to achieve his goal leads to him achieving feats which had seemed impossible up until that point.

Kunon the Sorcerer Can See is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Watch time: 13 episodes of 24 minutes each – just over 5 hours.

Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky
Studio: Makaria



Disability: Koharu Fuyutsuki, the love interest, is blind.

Kakeru Sorano is an introverted freshman at college. He meets fellow student Koharu Fuyutsuki, a blind girl who is quietly optimistic. Kakeru and Koharu slowly grow closer, and one day, when Koharu says that she would like to see fireworks one day, something shifts in Kakeru, and he resolves to help Koharu make her wish come true.

Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Watch time: 12 episodes of 25 minutes each – 5 hours.

Violet Evergarden
Studio: Kyoto Animation



Disability: Violet deals with the loss of both her arms and receives prosthetics for them.

After being raised as a child soldier and forced to fight in a war, the loss of her arms while saving her captain, and the end of the war, leads Violet to a more peaceful life in the city where her captain grew up. Unable to enjoy the quietness, Violet seeks out a job, and becomes an Auto Memory Doll, someone who writes letters on behalf of those who cannot. Violet received prosthetic arms that she can move at will, which allows her to take on this job. Her job as an Auto Memory Doll takes her across the country, and allows her to meet and record the stories of various people she meets along her journey.

Violet Evergarden is available to stream on Netflix SA.