Join us in calling upon the entertainment industry to include accurate, authentic representation of people with disfigurements and visible differences, to prevent further marginalisation of the community. 

Around the world, millions of people have a visible difference, a term which indicates a mark, scar, or other condition that affects bodily or facial appearance. Approximately 10% of the population has a facial disfigurement that often interferes with their ability to lead a life free of prejudice and discrimination. 

In the arts, all too often, facial or visible differences are employed as a visual shorthand to indicate a character is psychologically or morally damaged. Characters with scars and other visible differences are cast as evil villains, pitiful victims, and renegade vigilantes. Their stories overwhelmingly centre shame, bitterness, and rage. 

This has serious consequences as people with visible difference navigate
a world that has been taught to fear anyone who looks different. People
with visible difference face challenges in school, relationships, careers,
mental health, and more. All of these barriers are heightened by poor media
representation, which reinforces a negative bias towards people with
disfigurements.

Despite disability representation taking positive strides towards inclusion many feature unnecessary characterisation of facial differences through prosthetics in a way that reinforces historical prejudice towards this neglected community. 

It is clear that people with marks, scars and conditions affecting appearance are absent from the conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion both on screen and stage, and throughout the creative process. This is an often-excluded community, made up of talented professionals whose skills and expertise are being overlooked in place of actors without real lived experience of scars and other visible differences. Worse yet, this community’s stories are being told in a tokenistic, stereotypical way that will increase the discrimination and abuse this community so often experiences.

It’s time for this community to be seen and heard on their own terms. It’s time for the entertainment industry to take responsibility for shaping public perception of disfigurement, following on from successful movements to represent and include other minoritized groups.

The entertainment industry can have a positive impact on the lives of people with visible differences through inclusive hiring practices, fair representation and by telling empowering stories. Real, human stories that involve the communities they’re characterising can prevent unnecessary harm and marginalisation.

Right now, there are several new productions in the making or awaiting release that we know will rest upon outdated, harmful tropes around disfigurement. 

If the industry hears our call now, we can prevent future generations of children from being indoctrinated by stories that tell them to fear or look down upon people with visible differences.

We are seeing diversity celebrated more and more across the creative arts. So we want to collaborate with the entertainment industry to ensure that the FD community is included in these efforts.

Read Face Equality International's Position Paper on Visible Difference & Disfigurement in the Arts.

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