Access magazine Issue April 2015 edition, published 20 March 2015.
This month, self-confessed ‘old codger’ Brad compares his attitude to today’s image-obsessed world with the example set by model and actor Jamie Brewer…
Come on GrandBrad, get with the programme…” So says my 11-year oldgranddaughter, who documents and shares her every move on her smartphone via Instagram, as she prepares for yet another selfie with yours truly. Being a bit of a poseur, I oblige with gusto by posing and beaming brightly, but only on my terms – no wheelchair, no sticks and only using my best side, the one unaffected by my disability brought on by stroke.
I have a very strict code of conduct when it comes to appearing in photographs, which I always find to be a poignant reminder of my disability. To be honest, I entertain a fantasy that this sort of thing wouldn’t bother me, but I can’t help feeling self-conscious about my lack of mobility. I won’t stop pulling the provocative pouting and poses, but the bottom line is that just I don’t like strangers having access to photographs of me showing off my disability. I want to portray myself as a confident manabout- town, not some wounded, wheelchair-bound benefit scrounger. I know I need to man-up – but thankfully, some handle it better than others…
Beauty in everyone
Jamie Brewer is is 30-year-old American TV actor and model who has Down’s syndrome. She recently walked the catwalk at New York Fashion Week as part of a show called ‘Role Models Not Runway Models’ presented by the contemporary womenswear designer Carrie Hammer, and won a legion of new followers and fans. It was a pioneering event seen by many as a real gamechanger in the superficial world of catwalk modelling.
Hammer commented that her A-line design was intended to compliment Brewer’s figure and public image. Speaking to USA Today – who reported that Brewer stole the show with her prowess and beauty – Brewer herself said of one particular dress, “It’s amazing, it’s really new. Many women have different sides to their personality, this dress fits…mine. I am honoured to be in it.”
Brewer isn’t just a ‘spokesmodel’. She’s also an advocate celebrated for her work in improving the legal rights and recognition of disabled people in the US, and previously spoke before the country’s senate to argue against using the word ‘retarded’ in state legislation.
I salute you, Jamie Brewer, for giving us the confidence to accept that there is human beauty in everyone, disabled or not. I would strongly urge you readers to buy into the mantra of “Hey, if she or he can do it, so can I”. By learning from the inspirational examples of others, we can really push boundaries and make a positive difference to our own sense of well-being.
Epic fail
Moreover, is it so incredible that a person with Down’s syndrome is celebrated for having an attractive figure, or is this something that people still feel a little uncomfortable with? Disabled people want to feel admired, adored and desired, just like everyone else. How does that factor into the more frequent debates that people have over ‘thigh-gaps’ and ‘size zero’? It’s something to think about – particularly for members of
today’s image-conscious, selfie-obsessed generation.
And they really are selfie-obsessed. Last month the Daily Mail reported that more than 17 million selfies are uploaded to social media websites every week. I don’t really get this addiction – sure, I’d be as lost without my phone as the next person, but I use mine primarily to make calls, answer email and to check the odd Facebook posting. This obsessive photograph taking and sharing is beyond me – I just don’t get it. But then perhaps I’m just an old codger trying to ‘Get with the programme’, LOL (text speak for ‘laugh out loud’, as if you didn’t know)…
