Today I look at businesses, education and society and think how much more there is to do.
Like most of the disabled community, I acquired my disability. I was 37 when I needed a wheelchair and for me it's hard to imagine things being worse.
I look at TV and there is very little representation of disabled people. I see some presenters now and some people in tv shows, but not many. However, TV adverts are worse with not many adverts including disabled people.
But actually we have come a long way. People like Mik Scarlet presented Beat That in 1992. Mik also had cameo roles in shows like the Bill and Brookside. Now I look at those on our screens like Ruth Madeley, Cherylee Houston, Liz Carr and Arthur Hughes. All fantastic disabled actors playing disabled people on screen.
Hopefully the days of non disabled people playing disabled people are now gone. I think of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, would there have been a qualified autistic actor to play that role? I would say yes.
If that role was given to an autistic actor would they have gone on to have other high profile roles............ probably. With autism being a hidden disability they would have the flexibility to play roles of non disabled people too.
Rose Ayling-Ellis is someone who is a bit of a ground breaker. She won some of the nations hearts whilst in Eastenders before going on to win Strictly Come Dancing. She was the first deaf person to compete in Strictly Come Dancing making history herself.
She then went on to be the first deaf person to host a live sports event in the 2024 Paralympics.
She recently came to my attention as she is playing Tuva Moodyson in the upcoming crime series called Tuva.
This show is based on the books by Will Dean. Tuva is a young deaf journalist who has a passion for telling the stories of those who are victim of crimes.
I interviewed Will and asked him what inspired him to write about a deaf journalist. Will told me about his vision that he saw a girl driving a certain vehicle. Then he pictured her life as a journalist in a small town. He pictured the town and her friends. During his birdseye focus on Tuva he noticed that she was wearing hearing aids.
He told me he never set out to write about a deaf journalist, but instead she is a journalist who just so happens to be deaf. I think this is a beautiful description.
This makes me question, when will be the first time a physically disabled person play the role of a disabled person. Why shouldn't a wheelchair user or someone who uses a single stick be able to apply for a role as a shopkeeper or student. In the same way Will Dean says Tuva is a journalist who happens to be deaf, can't they be a student who so happens to use a walking stick?
The last note on Will Dean and the Tuva series is that it is hard to write when you do not have lived experience yourself. Authors research and study, but still make mistakes. Will is always making people aware that some of the success of his books is down to Deafinitely Girly aka @deafgirly on x.com (or twitter if you are old school like me). Will sends drafts to DG who ensures that any errors by Will are corrected early on.
So whilst those like me who have acquired disability fairly recently can look at the need for improvements, this is a month to learn about how far the disability community has come already. Earlier I mentioned Ruth Madeley and Arthur Hughes. They played the lead roles in the BBC Drama When Barbara Met Alan. If you haven't seen it, please find the time to watch it. This drama is based on true events and will make you realise how the hard work of those fighting for our rights then have supported us now.
We must then understand history is still being made with trailblazers like Rose Ayling-Ellis. But not just high profile people like Rose. Everyone of us is helping to carve the history for the next generation.
In the future people may not know our names, but any campaign work we do that causes change will make us history makers for those is in the future.
With this in mind; sign protests, support friends and families and don't be afraid to speak out for what you believe in.
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