I was shocked when I learned that the Disability Discrimination Act only became a legislation in 1995. Disability equality is so far behind other minorities; race and homophobic issues are regularly tackled on social and national media. Disability, however, is still taboo. There are still a lot of members of the public who do not understand disabilities or know how to behave around disabled people. There are still hundreds of public places which, when they were built and designed, don't consider their disabled patrons. It can still be a struggle, in 2016, to be able to go everywhere I want to in my wheelchair.
The stigma is still there, I am still seen as a less able person just because I am in a wheelchair. This uncomfortable feeling of disabilities is, more often than not, reflected in Hollywood be it deliberate or by accident. It is very rare that a disabled person is a protagonist, unless the movie specifically centers on the disability, and disabilities are hardly ever portrayed in a positive light. Disabilities tend to be the nuisance that the protagonist has to overcome, rather than it is a part of them which doesn't need to be focused on. Professor X in X-Men wasn't always disabled, but he manages to overcome this 'tragedy' through the power of his mind. Jake in Avatar attempts to be rid of his disabled body all the way through the film, and the new movie 'Me Before You' portrays a love story in which the male protagonist kills himself because he can't live in a wheelchair anymore, leaving his able bodied girlfriend to be able to live her life in full without him holding her back. On top of this, none of these actors are actually disabled; apparently it is far too difficult for Hollywood to allow an actual disabled person to play a character with a disability. Actors, such as Eddie Redmayne and Daniel Day Lewis, have been awarded Oscars for playing a part for a 2 hour film. For me, this is life. I find this offensive, and I know I am not alone in this.
I want to break this habit. I want to be a protagonist in a wheelchair, but the fact I am in a wheelchair has nothing to do with the film or has any relevance to the storyline. It is simply a part of me, like my hair colour or my favourite kind of music. I want to show it in a positive light. My chair is not a limitation - I can move much faster than people walking! I also want to highlight that disabilities aren't necessarily physical, and that they come in all shapes and forms and they make each disabled individual who they are. I want us to begin to celebrate this.
The stigma is still there, I am still seen as a less able person just because I am in a wheelchair. This uncomfortable feeling of disabilities is, more often than not, reflected in Hollywood be it deliberate or by accident. It is very rare that a disabled person is a protagonist, unless the movie specifically centers on the disability, and disabilities are hardly ever portrayed in a positive light. Disabilities tend to be the nuisance that the protagonist has to overcome, rather than it is a part of them which doesn't need to be focused on. Professor X in X-Men wasn't always disabled, but he manages to overcome this 'tragedy' through the power of his mind. Jake in Avatar attempts to be rid of his disabled body all the way through the film, and the new movie 'Me Before You' portrays a love story in which the male protagonist kills himself because he can't live in a wheelchair anymore, leaving his able bodied girlfriend to be able to live her life in full without him holding her back. On top of this, none of these actors are actually disabled; apparently it is far too difficult for Hollywood to allow an actual disabled person to play a character with a disability. Actors, such as Eddie Redmayne and Daniel Day Lewis, have been awarded Oscars for playing a part for a 2 hour film. For me, this is life. I find this offensive, and I know I am not alone in this.
I want to break this habit. I want to be a protagonist in a wheelchair, but the fact I am in a wheelchair has nothing to do with the film or has any relevance to the storyline. It is simply a part of me, like my hair colour or my favourite kind of music. I want to show it in a positive light. My chair is not a limitation - I can move much faster than people walking! I also want to highlight that disabilities aren't necessarily physical, and that they come in all shapes and forms and they make each disabled individual who they are. I want us to begin to celebrate this.