coldneedles

The BBC reports:

A film that stars disabled actors has caused controversy because it was given a 12A rating warning viewers that disabled people were featured in it.

Special People, which was largely shot in Worcestershire, is one of the first movies to use disabled lead actors, its director has said.

But its stars said it was unfair they were singled out by an advisory note. [...]

Director Justin Edgar, who is originally from Handsworth, in Birmingham, said: “It premiered last night and we have already had complaints from the actors and some disability groups in the audience who were angry about the advisory note warning people that disabled actors were used.

Special People film director Justin Edgar
Mr Edgar said he was one of the first to cast disabled actors as the leads

“You don’t get films with black people or women being categorised in this way, so why do it for films with disabled people in them?”

WTF?

I don't buy that children would be distressed by seeing people with disabilities in a film, because (newsflash):

-some children are disabled.
-some of their parents and guardians will be disabled.
-it is highly unlikely that they will never have seen disability before.

My family are not particulary unusual, but if we look:

-My Mum has had depression and has only one functioning eye.
-I have depression and anxiety.
-My Grandad has had a stroke and now must walk with a walking frame.
-My brother had delayed visual maturation and some unexplained seizures.
-My Grandma has depression and anxiety and only one lung (she had oe removed because of cancer).
-Another Grandma has at one point been on anti-depressants, as has one of my Uncles.
-One Aunt has some post viral problems and has panic attacks.
-Another Aunt has vitamin absorption problems (too long and complex to explain).
-Yet another Aunt has MS.

These aren't always "obvious", visable disabilities and we're not an unusually "sickly" family, but I'm using this to make a point that disability is part of most people's lives. It is not something that happens to other people or something that we should shy away from.

We are all only temporarily abled if we are not disabled in some way. The privilege that able (bodied) people benefit from can easily be lost. The image of the flawless human that we seem to model "normal" around is not a reality. If disability themes in a film need warning for then smack a warning on my life. Hell, smack one on the entire world!

(via Hoyden About Town via Disaboom.