*By Madison Alworth* ABC's hit show "Speechless" continues to surface a largely invisible population on TV, according to one of its stars. The series, which just started its third season, features a family that's traditional in all ways but one. “It is about a family, of a mother and dad and three kids, and one of whom, the oldest, has cerebral palsy. It’s about a typical family, \[an\] American family," actor Cedric Yarbrough said Tuesday in an interview with Cheddar. The character of the oldest son, JJ, is played by Micah Fowler ー who himself has the condition that affects movement and muscle tone. One key difference between the character and the actor is that while JJ cannot speak, Fowler can. The young actor has appeared in other TV series like "Labor Day" and "Sesame Street," but JJ is his most prominent role yet. Yarbrough stars as Kenneth, JJ's health aide. "I think we're the only show that has someone with a disability that's actually being an actor," Yarbrough said. "A lot of times, able-bodied actors are working as someone with autism or someone with a disability. To actually have our actor Micah Fowler, who is a brilliant actor in his own right, playing with me, is a great step," he said, adding: "I think everyone wants to be represented. And to have this is a great step for inclusion.” The show was awarded a 2017 Television Critics Association Awards for "Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming." To Yarbrough, the award ーand the positive reception to the show ー signifies progress. "It's really been really well-received and \[we're\] really fortunate that people really like the show.” "Speechless" airs on ABC on Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/comedian-cedric-yarbrough-stars-on-speechless).
