Equal Opportunities For DisAbled Actors, Says Equity Conference
Equity Annual Representative Conference 2010: Equity is to launch a public campaign to promote greater work for disabled performers, after the union’s ARC carried a motion complaining about the “serious lack of work” available to them.
The union’s ruling council is to update its casting policy so that it calls on production companies in TV, film and theatre to use disabled performers when casting disability-specific roles and to encourage employers to consider performers with disabilities for all roles. The motion, from the members with disabilities committee, was passed overwhelmingly.
Chris Webb, proposing the motion for the committee, said: “We don’t want someone to get a job purely and simply because they are disabled, all we want is for people to get an equal platform. If you go back a few years, and remember the time when you didn’t see any black faces on the stage in the West End or very many ethnic minorities on television, Equity campaigned for a long, long while and, as you can see today, that has changed enormously. All the disabled community want is for the same opportunities as was given to them.”
Same Difference 
This is good news! I am in Los Angeles and working toward making these changes for the past 15 years – I am a paraplegic filmmaker and even creating the roles that I will only cast actors with the same or similar disAbility – providing an AUTHENTIC voice, vision, and performance has many still discriminating against us! I have been trying to raise the awareness that the disAbility is as important factor in the IDENTITY of those of us living with a disAbility, as is our age, race, and gender – AND that it should be treated with the same respect when it is being portrayed and represented in movies and television. I talk about it in more detail on my website and my blog – if it interests you I invite you to visit. Meanwhile, I applaud the industry in the UK for all of your efforts LEADING the way – including the recent news of the new character on “Coronation Street” that cast an actress (sorry I forgot her name) with the same disAbility as the wheelchair user character on the show! AS soon as I praised this shows work and for casting her – while comparing it to the American practice of casting able bodied actors in these roles such as in “Glee” some Hollywood producers got all defensive at my criticisms! Too bad – until we are given the same respect all other minorities are given – I will not quit – and I will continue to provide the authentic representation in movies! Let’s all work together make this change happen and create a “turning point” in movies and television that will last forever!
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