Article: Actors Equity Magazine 

 

I have had the privilege of working as an actor since 1977, and have been a member of Actors Equity since that time. I have performed in theatre, musical theatre, television, film, radio and have written and directed.

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In 2002, I was diagnosed with a neurological disease, HSP (Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia). Over a decade, I went from walking unsteadily to being a full-time wheelchair user.

 

My experience of being disabled and an actor is that there is a blank space around me – I am largely invisible in my everyday life, and also, unfortunately, within my chosen profession - until recently.

 

It is still true that the stories that are told on our screens and stages rarely include people with disability - and when those characters are seen, they are often played by an able-bodied actor. We disabled folk have a saying: NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US.

Because we are still not in writing rooms, our stories are not being written. Therefore they are not included in the auditioning processes of theatre companies, castings for film, or auditions for television.

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And importantly, drama schools do not take and train quotas of Deaf and Disabled students.Physically disabled students are rarely seen, and need to be. Our training institutions remain overwhelmingly ableist.

 

It is a misconception that if a person is disabled, they have less intelligence, talent or desire to participate meaningfully in the acting profession. Talent and dedication do not discriminate.

 

But Australia is at a tipping point. At last, there are many conversations happening about disability in the arts. At last, Equity has formed a committee devoted to Disability as well as Diversity. And the achievements within the Australian Disability/Arts community are being acclaimed, in the case of Back to Back Theatre and the Other Film Festival, internationally.

 

Given that 20% of Australians live with some form of disability, it seems logical to me that we should be represented 20% of the time. I also think it is a given that actors with disability should have the opportunity to play themselves.

 

I look forward to the day when disability is seen as nothing more than human variation – and I look forward to the next generation of disabled actors auditioning for roles alongside their able-bodied colleagues.