Touchstone Volume 26 1706_Touchstone_Winter_Web Version | Page 10

IN FOCUS
The stage is set for
Lifting the curtain on the representation o
A study by Screen Australia found that
of 199 dramas aired from 1999 to 2015,
just four per cent of characters had an
identified disability – despite people with
disabilities making up one in five people in
Australia’s diverse population.
While the film industry has made some
steps toward diversity, recent blockbusters
and TV series show just how far they still
have to go to be inclusive.
We sat down for a chat with international
model Madeline Stuart and her mother,
Rosanne, to find out more about their
experiences in the arts.
“I have always loved to dance and perform,
especially in front of a live audience, so
when the opportunity arose for me to model
I was so happy,” Madeline explained.
“
I was the first professional model
with Down Syndrome in the world.
When my career first started, my
mother was afraid that the media
would not support me, but they
have wholeheartedly.
”
“Now I have my own clothing label and
I have appeared on TV and featured in
magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Vogue,
Huffington Post, and the New York Times.
“I think the industry is changing constantly,
you see a lot of models with disabilities at
shows and in magazines. I believe, in time,
it will be the norm and people will not
make such a fuss over things they think are
ground breaking and will realise that people
with disabilities are very capable but just
need to be given the right opportunities.”
To learn more about Madeline’s journey, visit
facebook.com/madelinesmodelling today.
Madeline Stuart’s answers were written with the assistance of her mum, Rosanne Stuart.
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Touchstone Winter 2017