Ken Ross Issues Call For Greater Inclusivity For Disabled People On Screen

Film producer Ken Ross, renowned for the likes of My Feral Heart and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit, has issued a call for more disabled people to appear on TV and film screens worldwide, having spent the last 20 years working to promote greater diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities.

In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Ross, 49, explained that an actor would never be asked to black up in order to play a role, so why should someone be asked to impersonate an individual with a disability?

The producer, who is also a real estate investor, has now been talking to producers and directors looking to cast more actors with disabilities – including none other than George Clooney, with whom he is currently in talks with about improving opportunities for people with Down syndrome.

Mr Ross’s son Max has Down syndrome and he explained that it wasn’t until the birth of his son that he “fully grasped … how excluded people with Down syndrome or other disabilities really were”.

He went on to say that creating jobs for people with Down syndrome in the film industry helps spread awareness of the condition, adding: “When statistics show that only six per cent of people with a learning disability are in paid work, it makes sense to create jobs in the film industry, where you can reach an audience of millions and encourage people to think a little bit more about how they can include others.”

If you’re keen to start a new career in film and TV, Pact Diversity has a helpful list of resources and organisations that can guide you in the right direction.

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