Jane Martinson (Diversity woes not just black and white,25 January) mentioned in passing the paucity of disabled talent in the media. But there is an additional factor that justifiably annoys disabled actors who face similar but different exclusion and prejudice to those experienced by actors from minority ethnic backgrounds. While black actors continue to miss out at major awards, the likes of Idris Elba no longer have to suffer the indignity of seeing a white actor strut up to the podium to gather the gong for best actor in recognition of their performance as a black character. Meanwhile, or reputable disabled actors struggling to find work grit their teeth in frustration as yet another non-disabled actor such as Eddie Redmayne picks up the Oscar for best performance by an actor cripping up.
Ian Macrae
Commissioning editor,Disability Now• Far more outrageous and insulting than the absence of black nominees is the Academy Awards’ attitude to actors and directors who develop films in any language other than English. Nothing could be more patronising and Anglo-American-centric than the category of “best foreign language film.
Ronnie Landau
London Related: Oscars 2016: Charlotte Rampling says diversity row is 'racist to white people' Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com