Transformative occupations: life experiences of performers with disabilities in film and television

Unrestricted Performers with disabilities in the entertainment industry in Southern California have been working together as a cohesive force for change, challenging deeply embedded cultural ideals of beauty and bodily perfection. This study is based on interviews with a cohort of adults with disabilities employed in film and television. Their narratives suggest that some occupations are transformative, in the sense of providing an overriding meaning and purpose in the life of these individuals and their community. For the participants in this study, acting -- or performance, more generally -- is a transformative occupation. Interviews with performers with disabilities show the dedication, persistence, adaptiveness and creativity that such a valued transformative occupation will inspire. The findings from this study provide evidence of the potential for transformative occupations to changes people's lives while also transforming society. This study examines six key strategies that performers with disability use to navigate the complex landscape of Hollywood to ensure that they continue performing. The strategies are: Peer connection and community building, performing vitality, disability disavowal, repertoire of responses to discriminatory encounters, creating touchstones of support, and professional diversification.; Performers with disabilities must really love what they do, if they persist in confronting the many barriers to participation in the film and television industry. They consequently face a dilemma: How do they balance their desire for success in television and film with the imperative to challenge -- and possibly reject -- roles that portray people with disabilities in a stereotypical, negative manner. As with other minorities seeking rights, they fear gaining reputations as troublemakers if they refuse roles or request reasonable accommodations at auditions or on set. This study examines, then, not only the enabling strategies but also the tensions characterizing the community of actors with disabilities in a highly competitive industry.