Most people enjoy watching their lives or personality traits appear on the small screen or the movie screen. The same fulfillment can manifest from reading a book and feeling as if the character is ‘just like me.’
The mainstream entertainment industry has been reluctant in hiring disabled actors to portray roles of disabled characters.
There has been a current pulse within the disabled community attempting to bring this discrepancy to public, social and cultural consciousness.
I fully support this endeavor as I recall a ghastly moment while watching a popular morning news show years ago.
One of the reporter’s decided to shoot a series of live segments wherein she mimicked an arthritic. Her intentions proved pure and she shined an authenticity to expose the devastation and pain an arthritic endures; simple tasks become huge undertakings.
Before the reporter placed yellow cleaning rubber gloves over her hands, she riddled the inside of the gloves with popcorn to mimic the cracking hand arthritis effect and the diminished range of motion associated
with the disease.
Popcorn shoved inside rubber gloves does not represent my personal experience with arthritis or my relationship to my disease.
That’s why I joyfully shared this article with you, the link is the first post in April.
Spread the word to the world – hire disabled actors to play disabled characters.
Spread the word to the world – integrate able-bodied with disabled on the stage of our world.
The director of the London Summer Olympic Ceremony took the opportunity to place disabled dancing, singing and enjoying the spirit Olympics bring to create international relationship, harmony, peace and respect.
My hat’s off to Danny Boyle for taking the leap!
And my reading glasses off to writer Esme Mazzeo and actor Ann Marie Morelli for creating the change!
Living Life to the Best of Your Possibility 