Free Prose// Dear Sia, and anyone working in film and TV, please show real disability representation.
By Sophia Kleanthous
12 December 2020
Recently it’s come to my attention
That a lot of people are getting confused about good representation
Why showing disability accurately is so important
Educating the public and encouraging that reinforcement
So, here's the nitty gritty
Disabled people do not want your pity
Your compassion sure,
but please, leave that other shit at the door.
The inspiration porn you created
made so many of us feel violated.
You say you are inclusive to all
But belittle and ignore our calls
When we said we were unhappy
With the way you had portrayed us
You lashed out and said we were just making a fuss
Your fans called us trolls, stupid and ignorant
Instead of listening to our pleas for serious dissonance
You didn't support us but came up with your excuses
You refused to be held accountable, and now everyone loses
Your response to us was feeble
This is not the way to "help disabled people"
You said we couldn't act, couldn't handle the pressure
But did you actually speak to any of us?!
Let me give you a refresher
There is nothing new about our plight
You just haven't been listening to our fight
Disabled people have been calling out films and TV for decades now
For the unfair representation, hurtful characterisation and so, this we vow
We will fight until we get to see
Disabled people on our screens that represent our entire community
The cause hasn't changed, it’s just gotten bigger
Because now we have to push through the hate on social media
So please cast disabled people, engage, and support us
There are simple steps you can take
Like reading up on our history and owning up to your mistakes
We just want to be seen, to increase our visibility
So, we can start to address ableism and show the reality of living with a disability.
Thanks for listening
Sophia is 28 and lives in London. She is a Disability Rights Campaigner who has been working in policy and campaigning for about 4 years. She loves writing about and working on human rights causes and has just created a new campaign called 'Ableism And Me', which will raise awareness of everyday ableism and fight for the rights of disabled people worldwide.