From exclusion to inclusion: Celebrating soaps' disability history

The staring-you-right-in-the-face experiences, the uncomfortable conversations, the righting of deep wrongs and, increasingly, the joy of disabled lives. As a disabled person who grew up watching soaps, I feel fortunate to have personally witnessed this shift, but I also recognise the damage that comes with a painful history.

For every new introduction of a disabled character, piece of increased visibility, portrayal of disabled plot lines, or emergence of disabled actors as advocates, there are hard-fought, hard-won personal histories.

Nowhere is this history or evolution more evident than when speaking to two disabled actors whose experiences, both personal and professional, have helped shape their perspectives and firmed their voices.

Cherylee Houston made history as Coronation Street’s first disabled actress. Remembering her own early encounters with disabled characters on screen, she cites Maud Grimes (Elizabeth Bradley) in Coronation Street.

While Maud, who used a wheelchair, was played by a non-disabled actress, there are unmistakable parallels between her bold and formidable persona and Houston’s character, Izzy Armstrong. Both women exude strength and confidence across generations, embodying the spirit of formidable northern women with a natural grace and poise.

But that early character could only grasp half a reality as, throughout history, disabled people have fought tirelessly for recognition of their lived experience; building upon those early memories, disabled people have advocated for their unique perspectives and first-hand knowledge.

That history can be seen in Houston’s passion. Few things feel more personal than communicating our history in our own words, which can also be seen in her career. From the imperfect beginning of characters like Maud, there has been a shift, which Houston is a part of and has pushed forward. She is emphatic: “There’s lived experience behind it all now. You can actually tell a massive difference.”

Ultimately, now disabled people can see themselves completely and thoroughly. Without having to half see themselves through a non-disabled person’s imagining of a disabled existence. Soaps have led the way in making that a reality, as they have bedded disability in; stories aren’t as often solely about a disability, as she concludes: “In my career, the first half of my career, there was nobody with lived experience of disability as an actor working in soaps.”

Ellie Henry, a disabled actress in her first major role, playing the character of Freya Calder in Hollyoaks, has described how Houston’s work has, in turn, influenced her. She feels a warm connection to Izzy, but she also acknowledges that something was lacking when it came to her own experiences being reflected: “I’ve grown up watching soaps and have always been captivated by the stories told on television, so when I became disabled, it was the first place I looked to find the story being told.”

Unfortunately, at the time, to her mind, there was hardly any representation of wheelchair users, and there wasn’t any representation of young disabled people. But from those beginnings, we’re seeing disabled people build up, up and up. It can be seen in the way that Henry reacted when she found the lack of young disabled lives represented in soap disheartening – it impassioned her. “It gave me a clear reason to continue with my training and be that representation within the industry for others.”

She summarises her view with an emotion that will resonate with many from the disabled community: “I’m fortunate to now have the opportunity to be who I needed when I was younger.”

As Alison Kerry, Head of Communications at Disability Equality Charity Scope, says: “Millions of people watch soaps every week, making them a great platform for disability representation. One in four of us are disabled, meaning more needs to be done to make sure that programmes truly reflect their audiences.”

In discussing the past, present and future, possibly the most crucial question one can pose is how Henry sees her future within the industry unfolding. It is a testament to the work that has been done and is still being done by those who came before her. “At the minute, I believe we are still in the early stages of what can be achieved. Having disabled people within the cast and an accessible site should be the bare minimum!”

While it is positive that we’re seeing more and varying disabilities, there is still a long way to go so that disabled characters and actors are involved in major soap storylines. Success for her looks the same as any other actor: “Every actor wants those juicy bits to really get their teeth into, and I would love it to be the case that I’m telling stories which haven’t been written specifically for a disabled actor or character.”

We have come a long way since those early days of soap when it was the norm for non-disabled actors to play disabled roles. Back then, we endured clichéd and stereotypical portrayals, lacking authenticity built on half-truths. But now, we have evolved to a point where we demand to see genuine lived experiences on our screens. This shift didn’t happen without effort: it came about because generations of disabled people grew up only seeing half of themselves reflected on television, and over time, it became increasingly difficult to stomach, so they fought tirelessly and put the work in for the better.

We have fought, and continue to fight, to have our stories told on-screen at every stage of life, and disabled actors now rightfully expect the same opportunities as their non-disabled counterparts. Reflecting on the history of disability representation in soap, we can also trace its future and how it came to be.

The history of disability representation in soap is a testament to the power of storytelling and its impact on people and society. From the introduction of more disabled characters to the increased visibility and portrayal of disabled plotlines to disabled advocates, each step has contributed to a positive shift. Still, as disabled people in the industry keep building up, up, and up, we should reflect on the hard-fought and hard-won victories.

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