Della Duck, intrepid space explorer and amputee, comes to TV

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Della, an elusive and lesser-known member of the Donald Duck family, took center stage in Saturday’s episode and quickly proved to be a groundbreaker, one of the few TV characters with a disability who's part of a children's series.

The loss is handled off-screen: She is shown with her left limb trapped under spacecraft wreckage, then a short time later with the replacement.

Della, who's had a minor and shifting role within her venerable flock, is depicted in "DuckTales" as Donald's twin sister and long-lost mom to Huey, Dewey and Louie. In making her an amputee, it was critical to demonstrate that is only one aspect of her and her life, said the producers of the Disney Channel series.

"We got really excited about the opportunity to show an aspirational version of a character that has a prosthetic and that isn't entirely defined by her prosthetic," said Francisco (Frank) Angones, co-producer and story editor.

A spunky adventurer in the spirit of her family, she has a buoyant catchphrase to match: "Nothing can stop Della Duck!" In a story arc this season, Della focuses on getting back to her kids but must also confront the unexpected company she has on the moon.

A likeness of Donald Duck appearing on the spines of comic books at a temporary shop set up in Berlin to mark the 50th anniversary of Donald Duck pocket books in German, November 6, 2017. /VCG Photo

She's the latest example of "DuckTales" inclusive approach, said executive producer Matt Youngberg. The series debuted in 2017 as a reboot of the 1987-90 "DuckTales" show.

"We're trying to make sure that unique and interesting voices are being heard, and that we're embracing the differences in all types of people," Youngberg said.

Jack Richmond, president of the Amputee Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy and support group, assisted in Della's creation. He's optimistic about how children will receive Della with a prosthetic leg.

"Kids usually are the first one to adjust and move on. They tend to accept things and say, 'OK, that's cool.' As adults, we struggle with it a little bit more," Richmond said. Even a cartoon character's depiction can carry over into the lives of young viewers, he said, allowing them to accept differences among people they encounter.

"If you are a child with a disability, you almost never see yourself (portrayed) in popular entertainment," said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which advocates for inclusion for people with disabilities, "That's why seeing a character with a disability is so empowering."

(Top photo: The logo of the Disney store on the Champs Elysee in Paris, France, March 3, 2016. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AP