Why it’s important to see disabled people represented in all walks of life

Whether it’s on TV shows or in the workplace, proper representation could change someone’s life for the better, writes Prudence Wade

Kadeena Cox. Picture: ITV/PA Media

With Kadeena Cox participating on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly Come Dancing, representation of disabled people on the TV seems to be having a moment.

For Mark Hodgkinson, CEO of disability equality charity Scope, this is hugely important. “We all need role models when we’re growing up, when we’re aspiring to do new things,” he explains. “If you don’t see anyone like you in the places you aspire to be, then that creates quite a challenge. It’s pretty challenging to be a disabled person anyway.” Seeing someone relatable on the TV is important, but representation doesn’t just stop there – it could also have a huge impact on a disabled person in the workplace.