My Essay on Rooted In Rights: “Ali Stroker’s Tony Nomination Puts Disability Center Stage”

Ali StrokerI can’t believe I got to write this as my second piece for Rooted In Rights, an amazing disability rights site! When I heard that actress Ali Stroker recently became the first performer in a wheelchair to be nominated for a Tony award, I was excited (note: I wrote a follow-up piece after her big win last week and will post that next week!). When I heard that they didn’t tone down her character (amorous Ado Annie in Oklahoma!), I was ecstatic.

To see an overtly sexual character with a disability is huge, especially in a society that typically sends the message that women with disabilities are asexual beings. Honestly, that’s something I’ve never understood and it’s actually incredibly frustrating. Why does our disability suddenly take away our sexuality as women? Is it because there’s this societal perception that disability is ugly, grotesque and shameful? I’m definitely not here for any of that!

Thanks to Ali Stroker, though, disability representation is taking center stage. Literally!! To see disabilities represented on the stage has been a long time coming, and it means that yet another barrier has been shattered in the fight for inclusion — a fight in which we still have so far to go!

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I talk about how much I’ve loved Ali Stroker ever since I first saw her on The Glee Project years ago (she should have won!)…

To pair disability with sexuality is nothing short of revolutionary. It’s not something we’ve necessarily seen so overtly on Broadway or quite so mainstream, and it’s sending the very-important message that, yes, women with disabilities can be sexy and can lean into their own sexuality just like nondisabled women. So often, disabilities are thought of as negative – sometimes even repulsive – and they’re virtually never included in mainstream conversations about sexuality. Or even in conversations about relationships in general, for that matter.

The assumption that women with disabilities are asexual beings is all at once hurtful, misguided and damaging. It’s an assumption that further puts us in the “other” category and fails to see us as whole people and all our identities instead of just part of us. And, it’s an assumption that should have been debunked decades ago.

Maybe that’s why I’m so thankful to see Stroker in the spotlight in Oklahoma! as a character who is a woman who embraces her sexuality and just happens to be in a wheelchair.

Ali StrokerYou can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

Motivational Quotes Monday: Why Disability Representation Matters More Than Ever

Good afternoon, friends!! How is your Monday going?? Are you ready for a new week? I’m so proud of myself that I managed to take the whole weekend off from working! I’m so tempted to just keep working through the weekend far too often, so a little respite was really rejuvenating and refreshing!! Do you know what else is refreshing? The huge push toward disability representation that we’re seeing in 2019. I got to thinking about that last night when actress Ali Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony award!! It was a win for people with disabilities everywhere — it told the world that people with disabilities are here, we’re visible and we’re not going anywhere. That sort of representation is so important, especially in dispelling outdated, toxic myths about people with disabilities. With that in mind, here are five quotes all about the power of disability representation…

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On Writing About My Disability

Writing About My DisabilityWhew!! I’ve been going full-speed ahead on the writing front these last couple weeks! I know, hello, it’s my career and I write every single day, but the pieces I’ve worked on lately have been some of the most personal I’ve ever written. It’s made me think about a lot of things, especially about why writing about my disability has meant so much to me over the years…

The year was 2007. The hot, sticky summer, to be exact. This was in the old days before my blog, which in itself feels like ancient history. I had an essay published in Redbook — like, the actual glossy, shiny print magazine. This was the first time I really remember writing about my disability. I had graduated college a couple years earlier and was getting into freelance writing. I was still learning about the writing business and it was so exciting to see my name in a national magazine! It was thrilling to go to the store and see something I wrote on the newsstands. I got good feedback on it, which is probably part of the reason why I kept going with writing. That feedback encouraged me to keep going.

I remember being unafraid to share my story — something I had always been a bit self-conscious about doing up until that point. Looking back, maybe I did it because, although I loved reading magazines, I never really saw anyone like me in the pages. Sadly, there aren’t many publications focused solely on disabilities — maybe I’ll create one someday?? Something I’d really like to see is people with disabilities being featured more in mainstream publications. Of course it’s amazing that there are publications geared toward the disability community, but it’s time publications were more inclusive.

I’ve heard from other people with Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome because of my blog. I’ve gotten emails from people who said they Googled FSS and found my blog, so that’s always a humbling experience. I often wish the internet had been around when I was growing up because it would have been such a comfort to be able to connect with others who also have FSS!

And, honestly, that’s been my #1 goal with every piece I’ve written since: To try and make the world a more inclusive place for people with disabilities. In writing about my disability, I want to shout to the world that we’re people who live full and fulfilling lives. I hope my writings have shown that people with disabilities have a voice and we’re not afraid to use our voice to speak up and be heard! xoxo

Thoughts on Person-First Language and Disabilities

Person-First LanguageI admit that I never used to give much thought to person-first language when it came to my disability. Honestly, I didn’t really care if people referred to me as “person with a disability” or “disabled person” because to some degree, I didn’t see a clear distinction between the two. They both seemed to convey the same thing to me.

Is that bad??

I wonder about that sometimes, like, am I being a “bad” disability advocate if I don’t have a preference? Am I somehow not standing up for the disability community? Over the years, I’ve learned that the disability language people use is a very personal choice. Some prefer person-first language while others use disability-first. At one point, I was very pro person-first language. I definitely preferred saying “I am a person with a disability.”

I never wanted to be defined by my disability and I felt like saying I was a “disabled person” sort of dehumanized me. It was like saying that my disability came before my personhood. It was like saying that my disability was the most important thing about me.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I’m growing more and more comfortable with either option. I’m sure some of this shift has to do with the fact that I’m more comfortable and confident when it comes to my disability. I know that my disability is just one aspect of who I am.

Especially in my career as a writer, I’ve dealt with this question a lot since I explore my disability so much in my essays. For me, my disability is definitely a part of me, and there’s no getting around that. But the word “part” is very important — my disability is just one part of who I am. Just like I have red hair and am right-handed. Those are parts of me, just like my disability is. Saying this doesn’t mean I’m ashamed of my disability or that I hate it; I’ve actually come to embrace my disability and am proud of the person it’s helped me become. But in the end, it doesn’t define me or overrides the other “parts” of myself.

Person-First LanguageThe bottom line? How people with disabilities (or disabled people…) refer to themselves is completely their choice and what makes them feel the most comfortable. Autonomy is so important when it comes to all aspects of disability life, and even something as seemingly insignificant like a moniker is actually a pretty significant thing. It’s not small by any means. Definitely take your cue from the person you’re talking about or talking to. People who have disabilities are the best advocates and the ones who are the experts.

Remember, an honest and open conversation when it comes to disabilities is never wasted! xoxo

[Photos via We Heart It]

How the Disability Film Challenge Celebrates Diversity Through Storytelling

Disability Film ChallengeWhen I received an email about the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, I instinctively knew that I just had to interview the organizers. Why? Because the April event combined the disability community and pop culture, which are two of my favorite things. I’ve written a lot about pop culture’s lack of representation when it comes to disabilities and featuring disabled characters, so I was ecstatic to learn about the Disability Film Challenge, an initiative that aims to promote better representation by giving filmmakers — with and without disabilities — the opportunity to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Nic Novicki, who founded the challenge along with Mark Whitley, the CEO of Easterseals Southern California. Read on for Novicki’s thoughts and wise words, including the importance of disability representation, shattering negative stereotypes and what the future might hold for representation… xoxo

Tell me about the Disability Film Challenge? How did it come about?
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge is a weekend-long film competition where, over the course of 55 hours, participants write shoot, edit and submit a 3- to 5-minute short film based off an assigned genre. While the filmmakers are not required to include disability in the story line, each team must include at least one person with a disability in front of or behind the camera. After submission, the films are judged by a diverse group of entertainment industry talent, which this year included RJ Mitte, Nicole Castro, Kat Coiro, Jenni Gold, Ken Kragen, Kevin Jordan, Steven Martini, Mark Povinelli and Danny Woodburn. This year’s finalists were announced and screened at the Bentonville Film Festival on May 3rd, which champions inclusion in all forms of media, invited to an exclusive round-table discussion with agents at United Talent Agency and received a one-year subscription to Variety Magazine.

Winners, announced at the red-carpet event hosted by United Talent Agency in Beverly Hills on May 10th, were awarded industry mentorships with industry leaders such as agent Bec Smith from UTA, Executive Vice President Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i from CBS Entertainment Diversity, Inclusion & Communications, casting director Pam Dixon and a yet-to-be-announced production executive from Universal Pictures. They also receive the opportunity to screen their film at the Los Angeles-based HollyShorts Film Festival (August 9-18), an Academy Award-qualifying competition; they also receive $1,000 grants provided by Universal Filmed Entertainment Group toward their next production.

I founded the Disability Film Challenge in 2013 to give filmmakers a platform to collaborate and tell unique stories to help change the way the world defines and views disability. I was also looking to motivate people with and without disabilities to take their career in their own hands and increase their own visibility. I personally have found success as an actor, comedian and producer because I realized early on in my career that as a little person, if I wanted to continue to play three-dimensional characters in Hollywood, I was going to have to create my own work. It has led to a lot of work for me over the years, and it has also been creatively fulfilling to be in charge of my own career. I wanted to provide the opportunity for people in the entertainment industry and in other industries to experience the same thing. The film challenge is also a great tool to build lasting relationships

The film challenge has grown each year, and the partnership with Easterseals Southern California in 2017, along with the sponsors that have joined us, has turbo-charged our development! We are currently sponsored by Adobe, The Bentonville Film Festival, CBS Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion, Deadline, Dell, Inc., Deadline, HollyShorts, Nike, SAG-AFTRA, Heartland Film Festival, United Talent Agency, Universal Pictures and Variety.

Each year we see more and more amazing films created over our weekend film challenge. We are proud to see past participants getting hired in film and TV, and to see the films at festivals around the world!

Disability Film ChallengeWhy is disability representation so important?
As people with disabilities, we represent 20% of the population, but we are only seen in less than 2% of film and TV. When we are depicted in typical, authentic roles, it helps change perceptions of what people with disabilities are like.

What can people do to help change society’s view/negative stereotypes of people with disabilities?
Easterseals has started a campaign called “Celebrate. Don’t Separate” that I think really sums up what we are all aiming for. The “Easterseals Promise” as a part of that campaign asks people to promise to take steps to change the way they see disability. It features calls to action such as “Celebrate. Don’t Separate,” “Encourage. Don’t Exclude” and “Dialogue. Not Doubt” that reminds everyone to treat people fairly and equally. The message is the overarching theme of the film challenge as well, so whether people participate in the film challenge, watch and share the winning films or take the “Easterseals Promise,” they are helping change the way people define and view disability.

Where do you see disability representation in, say, 5 or 10 years?
I see disability being represented in more and more projects. The numbers can only go up, especially once entertainment companies, studios and Fortune 500 companies realize the incredible buying power of people with disabilities that they are missing out on.

What are some films that do justice to disability representation?
It’s sad to say that it is hard selecting a lot of recent films that were theatrically released. I would again have to point to numerous films from our film challenge, although they are short films. The movie, “The Sessions” was a great film and although the actor that portrayed the lead character didn’t have a disability, the supporting cast members did. The director Ben Lewin is also disabled and incredibly talented.

Although there are a couple other films that I think did a great job with representation, including Baby Driver, I would have to say that TV is really leading the way. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Speechless, and numerous other TV shows have been groundbreaking examples of on-screen representation.

Disability Film ChallengeThanks, Nic, and thanks for all the inspiration!! You can learn more about the Easterseals Disabillity Film Challenge here. Be sure to watch and share this year’s films, and participate in next year’s film challenge!

[Photos courtesy of Reggie Ige and Easterseals Southern California]