Disability Diversity- Lets talk about it!

It is our mission at Zebedee to see people with disabilities and visible differences being fairly represented in fashion, advertising, TV and film. We want to encourage all brands, organisations and creatives to include disability when considering diversity. It is estimated that there are 14 million disabled people, around 20%, in the UK, making them the largest minority group, yet they continue to face significant discrimination in the industry and wider society. Although we are delighted that the industry is becoming more inclusive in that there are now more opportunities for disabled models, there is still a long way to go. Zebedee has not had a disabled model booked at LFW since AW 2017 for Teatum Jones, and to our knowledge there have been no disabled models booked at LFW since then. It is frustrating to see official LFW diversity reports being released which do not mention disability. There are brands such as River Island and Primark who use disabled talent regularly, however it seems that this sort of inclusion is not on the radar for most brands and designers, and it would be our estimate that bookings for disabled models account for way less than 1% of all model bookings in the UK, which is unacceptable. Furthermore, for those with alternative appearances such as birthmarks, scarring and vitiligo, they are also excluded from the diversity debate, despite continuing to face abuse and discrimination. The economic case for including disabled people in fashion and media is huge: the spending power of disabled people is thought to be $1.2 trillion per year. Within the disabled community, there is a feeling that brands simply ‘don’t want their money’, with issues with representation, access and design. So, as well as true inclusion making good business sense, with it comes understanding and acceptance in the wider society, which can only make the world a nicer place to live. Please get in touch if you would like any advice or guidance relating to disability or visible differences in your project, or if you would like us to talk on a podcast or Zoom meeting let us know and we would be happy to help! You can contact us at info@zebedeetalent.com or call 0207 9938530