Disabled Opportunity: The Entertainment Industry’s Discriminating Against Me Posted by Ru Porter on 12/02/13 | Filed under Opinion

To become famous, you have to have a uniqueness that separates you from everyone else. But in some cases standing out can be a hindrance – especially if you’re disabled.

The film, music and television industries are already highly competitive and for individuals with physical handicaps achieving a high level of success is even slimmer. Additionally, there aren’t many public figures to represent Americans with disabilities on a mainstream level, which is why networks like NBC would rather hire able-bodied actors such as Blair Underwood to play a paraplegic detective on their latest cop drama, "Ironside". The show, which was part of NBC’s Fall 2013-14 programming, is a reboot of a 1960's drama touting the same name; and chronicles the life of an undercover officer who gets injured and confined to a wheelchair. To some, Ironside’s premise may sound unappealing, but personally I thought the pitch was great – not just because Underwood’s character is disabled, but also because it shed light on a topic that rarely gets any shine.

Living with a disability is emotionally, mentally and physically traumatic. I know because I use a wheelchair, and can relate. So when I read online that the series was cancelled, I was offended being one of more than 37 million disabled Americans living today. Supposedly NBC axed the show as a result of negative reviews and low ratings, and that really pisses me off because it makes me feel as though disabled people don’t have a place in mainstream media. Why else would programs like “Little People Big World” only be broadcast to niche audiences – on networks that average Americans don’t normally tune into? If I had to guess I’d say because the aforementioned program isn’t edgy and sexually driven. But while I understand "Ironside"s lack of reception, I personally believe that public platforms featuring handicapped actors aren’t hugely successful due to society’s attitudinal barriers toward people with disabilities in general.

Contrary to popular belief, not all individuals with disability suffer from auditory, mental and visual issues. Take me for example. I was born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy, a disorder of movement, muscle tone and posture that is caused by an insult to the immature, developing brain, before birth. Therefore, I can’t stand/walk on my own without using crutches or a walker. Still, that doesn’t prevent me from being judged. Everyday is a grueling uphill battle mainly because the world isn’t built for people like me. However, I try my absolute best to live a normal lifestyle no matter what obstacles I’ve faced with, including lack of accessibility at numerous places of business.

To complicate matters further, I often get discriminated against too -- particularly in the music industry. Jobs that I’ve applied for in the past – in which I was a good candidate for – have been passed on to others with little to no explanation. As a matter of fact, the most recent incident involved a boutique NY-based entertainment marketing firm. In November 2010, I applied for a position in the pop-rock department where I was scheduled to interview with a hiring manager. She seemed to show interest in me, and even wanted to meet in person, right until I mentioned being mobility impaired. Almost immediately, the meeting I agreed to have was reduced to a phoner, which eventually got delayed more times than Jay Electronica’s debut album. And while the company may argue that her demanding schedule got the best of her, I highly doubt that’s what happened, because if she was really interested in seeing how qualified I was, I’d at least be able to know if I got the job or not. Whether or not they would have hired me is debatable, but that’s the least of my concerns. The fact that she didn’t even give me a fair chance to prove my skills because of something I have no control over is the main reason I chose to pen this article.

People with disabilities deserve to get proper representation in all forms of entertainment. We should be afforded major roles in corporate offices, without being relegated to entry-level administration or customer service jobs, since many people with disabilities are capable of doing much more than bagging items at groceries and greeting customers in retail. I understand that accommodating handicaps are costly, but it’s still not an excuse because folks need to understand that no one asks to be different.

If several hundred million dollars could be spent producing "Avatar", couldn’t Michael Caleo and the rest of Universal Productions pay to have a disabled actor cast? Despite not having any credible physically challenged actors available for the lead role in "Ironside", that an actual paraplegic wasn’t offered a chance to audition because the series contains too many flashbacks to the days before the main character’s spinal chord was damaged in a shooting, is pure bullsh*t. An athletic person with a real disability could’ve simply filmed the non-action scenes, with Blair acting as a stunt double for during the intense moments on camera.

The point I’m trying to make here is this: just because a person looks different doesn’t mean they should be treated as such. Look at Blind Fury for example. Prior to 2011, Stephen Norris was the only handicapped emcee to appear on BET’s Freestyle Friday battle – not to mention the only non-able-bodied artist to premiere a music video on the 106 & Park countdown. Meanwhile, if it hadn’t been for the April 2012 premiere of Sundance Channel’s “Push Girls” - a reality series chronicling the lives of four women using wheelchairs due to accident or illness - no one would have known that Auti Angel was a dancer for Kid’n Play, LL Cool J and NWA back in the day.

If hip-hop's slowly moving towards accepting openly gay rappers like Frank Ocean, why can’t disabled artists attain that same level of popularity when they're just as talented? Hopefully this article will inspire more people with different abilities to push for change because I’d like to be the female version of this guy someday, and the only way that will happen is if this number decreases.

(By @Ru_Porter.)

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