So Coda has triumphed at the Oscars; the likable cheese-fest with a feelgood plot is hardly great cinema, but it’s also hard to dislike. The moments when Troy Kotsur won the Bafta this month, and then the Oscar last night, were enough to have this cynical old disability activist jumping out of his chair with glee and admiration for both the actor himself and the coolness of his acceptance speeches. Coda’s win is a key moment in the sometimes problematic relationship between disability and cinema. Coming so soon after the triumph of Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly, this is a chance for us disabled people to revel in the spotlight that Deafness has had this awards season, a moment where Deaf people are in the public consciousness and are being celebrated. Let’s hope that focus leads to better access for Deaf people and scrutiny of the horrific cuts to Deaf education and access that have been made during the austerity era (and are yet to be rectified).
Dan Edge, who sits on the Equity diversity committee and is an accomplished actor in his own right, has said that the success of Coda and Kotsur’s win throws a bomb at the perceived industry wisdom that disabled actors are not bankable. It is a big moment for disabled talent all round and I sense we won’t be waiting another 35 years for a disabled actor to win a major award, like we have been since Marlee Matlin picked up best actress in 1987. There is a great opportunity for the streamers, who can take risks with disabled talent that perhaps studios and distributors will not.
