The agency for disabled talent
Acting and modelling are notoriously fickle industries often trading on perfection, but in the 1990s one woman challenged the status quo by setting up a professional talent agency for disabled people.
It was 1993 when Louise Dyson’s agency was approached by Sunrise Medical for disabled models to promote its wheelchairs.
“We didn’t know any models with a disability and I immediately thought that was such an obvious thing for advertising to be representative of the consumer,” she says. “But until that point it had never crossed my mind.”
The request led to Dyson helping to organise the Sunrise Model in a Million competition the UK’s first professional modelling contest for people with disabilities which was won by Sharron Murray and Jason Ward who both received modelling contracts.
Emboldened by the response she took a leap of faith, sold shares in her canada goose outlet first agency and established VisABLE an agency for disabled actors, presenters and models.
But the doors were not as open as she had anticipated.
canada goose womens outlet “Although everybody said all the right things I knew they thought I’d gone mad and no one gave us any business in advertising for a canada goose clearance sale long time. canada goose womens outlet
canada goose outlet shop “We really had to make a business case as canada goose uk shop to why to include disabled people in advertising.” canada goose outlet shop
canada goose outlet phone number It’s a situation she is still perplexed by given that the uk canada goose outlet market surrounding disability known buy canada goose jacket cheap as the buy canada goose jacket Purple Pound is worth an estimated 249bn in the UK. canada goose outlet phone number
“If you use a disabled actor in a campaign it means not only will disabled people support a company, so canada goose coats will friends and relatives.” Crucially, she says, canada goose uk black friday “It’s a way of distinguishing against your competition.”
canada goose outlet uk sale Signed to Dyson’s books is Shannon Murray, the original winner of the Sunrise competition. She took the https://www.canadagoosejacketonlines.ca crown aged 17, three years after she was paralysed from the waist down in a diving accident. canada goose outlet uk sale
canada goose outlet toronto address Murray had harboured dreams of becoming an actress but gave up on them after her accident “because there weren’t any actors in wheelchairs on TV”. canada goose outlet toronto address
The modelling career thrust upon her gave her Canada Goose Outlet a chance to challenge that.
“I canada goose uk outlet loved doing shoots but I wanted to put out a much stronger message, that fashion should be inclusive.
“I canada goose store was very aware that the teenagers I was meeting in the Canada Goose online spinal injuries unit were still young, fashionable, wanting to go to nightclubs and had dilemmas over boys but that wasn’t what I saw in the media.”
Her moment in the spotlight, which challenged perceptions, was warmly received, but she says, only because the fashion houses had requested a canadian goose jacket model in a wheelchair. “If I’d turned up Canada Goose sale wanting to walk down the runway it would have been a slightly different reaction.”
It is this exclusive inclusivity that is the challenge facing the industry in 2017.
canada goose outlet reviews The notion that a fashion house or casting agent would request a woman in her 40s to play a mother, regardless of whether she is disabled or not is the ideal they are aiming for. canada goose outlet reviews
Murray says: “Lots of people are talking about it and saying they’re prepared to do it, but it hasn’t happened yet.
“It’s the place we want to be in, the same way that black or Asian actors would like colour blind casting, so we’re chosen on our skill.”
canada goose outlet in chicago In New York model Jillian Mercado seems to have cracked the uk canada goose surface. The 29 year old, who has muscular dystrophy, is signed to the mainstream IMG Models and was used by Beyonce in a recent merchandise campaign which Murray describes as “brilliant” and proves “we’re getting there”. canada goose outlet in chicago
Murray, a model turned actress, who has appeared in the likes of CLASS and Casualty, says the acting world is a little ahead of the fashion industry.
canada goose outlet london But VisABLE’s aim remains to seek work for its clients where their disability is “incidental”. canada goose outlet london
canada goose premium outlet ”The whole point of VisABLE is to persuade advertisers and producers to offer bookings to artists irrespective of the fact that they have characteristics,” Murray says. canada goose premium outlet
canada goose outlet woodbury “If someone’s advertising a product like canada goose shampoo and they happen to have a disability which is not directly relevant it’s the perfect canada goose factory sale form of inclusivity.” canada goose outlet woodbury
Twenty three years into the business and Dyson says the situation has “improved massively” since her first days with the business expanding globally with recent work in Mexico, South Africa and France.