The Variety magazine organized an Inclusion Gathering, which was presented by the Ruderman Family Foundation at the London Hotel located in West Hollywood on 2 November! A series of conversations was entertained in this meeting, which revolved around inclusion and disabilities in Hollywood, along with breakfast being served.
A keynote conversation took place with Troy Kotsur, the Academy Award-winning star of “CODA” (2022), which was moderated by Clayton Davis, who is the senior editor of Variety. Kotsur has won the Academy Award for his role as a deaf father of a hearing daughter named Frank Rossi!
The movie “CODA,” directed by Sian Heder, won the Best Picture Academy Award! Kotsur is the second deaf individual to win the Academy Award. It is a clear sign that opportunities are being presented for disabled people, even if it is a slow rise.
In many cases, it has been observed that Hollywood has been constricted in giving opportunities to disabled people; however, citing this movie’s example, Kotsur explained that there might be momentum in Hollywood regarding inclusivity and diversity.
He also stated that he can observe how individuals are cast based on their talent and demand instead of focusing on their disabilities. He mentioned that writers must be involved in the inclusion process when they write stories and characters, especially regarding diversity.
The different array of roles that give opportunities for disabled people, such as deaf, blind, physically challenged, or mentally challenged, should be written more along with serving reality to the audience. Their career is nothing different than that of able people, and they shouldn’t be judged by it!
If they are not suitable for the role or unable to perform, that should be a concern. Making eye contact, learning ASL language to interact with people with disabilities like people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and other such initiatives should be considered compulsory when it comes to an industry like Hollywood, where there is no shortage of resources.
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