people
Far left: Ian Bonar and Sarah Gordy in
Jellyfish, photograph by Samuel Taylor.
Left: Sarah Gordy, image courtesy Snooty
Fox. Below left: Sarah Gordy and Penny
Laden in Jellyfish, photograph courtesy
Samuel Taylor.
She said the recognition is
important and she is thrilled.
“I got the MBE for service to the
Arts and People with Disabilities, two
important things in my life,” she said.
“The industry now sees me as
a woman and an actor first and I
can deliver for them. The decision-
makers are risk averse, but I am
changing minds and creating a better
"Diversity is an opportunity, not a problem.
We are all individuals and there are new
stories to be told.”
“Last year I filmed a French bank
advert (a TV commercial for Caisse
d’Epargne) which says a lot in 30
after me.
“But there are many ways people
with disability can be successful; it
should never be about being famous.
for TV bosses” at the Mencap second My friend Adam has a successful
annual Lord Rix Lecture in London. career at an English supermarket –
“Slowly I have got the industry
that is just as important as what I do.
seconds. It shows me as a young to see the truth in what I have been “Being the first woman with a
woman working, on a bus, in a saying. Diversity is an opportunity, learning disability to be honoured in
supermarket, swimming underwater, not a problem. We are all individuals this way hopefully is an inspiration to
as a woman with a bank account. and there are new stories to be told,” parents and young people.
“I like it because it is not about said Sarah, who is an ambassador for “Being a celebrity ambassador
disability. It’s about a person living Mencap, a UK charity for people with for Mencap is important; I want to be
her life the way she wants to.” learning disability. a good role model, and encourage
Sarah is passionate about
“People like to see society
people to be happier and ambitious.”
boosting inclusion for people with reflected in drama and society comes disability in the mainstream media in all flavours. It is not about what is which reads: “I have Down syndrome,
and in 2015, she shared her “ideas deemed worthy; it has to be about but that’s not all I am.”
what is true and interesting. We need
She concludes her interview
by telling Link: “Everybody is an
where people who are different play individual. I am a woman, a daughter, a
characters, not disability … something friend, a volunteer, a music lover, I have
like a shop assistant the hero talks green eyes and a really bad singing
to sometimes. That way people who voice. My main work is drama, but
are different are seen as part of the sometimes I do talks, dancing gigs and
society and actors learn their trade.” modelling. I am on a local government
Services to the Arts and People with
people
Sarah has a quote on her website
to create small roles in big projects
Sarah was awarded her MBE for
30
environment for those who come
advisory committee and volunteer for
the British Heart Foundation.
Disabilities in this year’s Queen’s “Nobody is just a label.”
Birthday Honours. www.sarahgordy.com
linkonline.com.au