#19 How to Be a Disability Ally in the Entertainment Biz with Christine Bruno

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Disabled people are the United States’ largest minority group, encompassing a quarter of the country’s population. And yet only 5% of characters in television, film, and theatre are disabled, and only 2% of those roles are actually played by disabled actors. </span>  </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Christine Bruno is a multi-hyphenate whose many titles include actress, activist, teaching artist, disability inclusion consultant, and warrior. She joins the podcast today to shed light on how the disabled community navigates the entertainment industry. As non-disabled actors and creatives, we lack a certain level of awareness and firsthand experience when it comes to representation and</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">the problematic nature of non-disabled actors playing disabled characters.</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Christine is here to educate us so we can be better advocates for the disabled community, making the entertainment industry more inclusive. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I gave Christine full permission to correct me throughout this very important conversation. From the language do’s and don’ts surrounding disabled people to the problem with non-disabled actors playing disabled roles, Christine uses her expertise to lovingly put us in our place while fiercely advocating for the business we want to see.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To be an artist, Christine believes you need advocacy and activist tools in your toolkit and this episode is a masterclass. Tune in if inclusion is important to you and be prepared as Christine lovely schools us on how to be a true ally to the US’ largest minority group in the entertainment business and in life. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>CLOSER LOOK & TAKEAWAYS</strong></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most important 3 things you need to know if you want to be a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion advocate </span></li> <li><span style="font-weig