Sign this petition to ask major cinema chains to stop supporting the practice of 'cripping up'.

We all know that 'Blacking up' is unacceptable in films - an embarrassing thing we look back on and wince - so why, in 2020, do we still find 'cripping up' completely acceptable?

'Cripping up' is the term used to describe an abled actor playing a disabled role, often to the sound of applause, tears and awards.

Some examples include Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawkins and Bryan Cranston as a Quadriplegic in The Upside.

Whilst many people still argue that 'blacking up' and 'cripping up' aren't the same thing, they both use props/prosthetics and mimicry of voices and bodies to represent a minority group. Being disabled forms part of many people's identity and yet the practice of 'cripping up' reduces that identity to a few token visual signifiers.

Meanwhile, disabled actors are locked out of roles where disability is unspecified, as well as ones where they could authentically play the character. This then perpetuates the cycle of under-representation of disabled actors where they're not accepted into drama schools because 'there are no roles for disabled people.'

Further to that, disabled people don't get to see themselves represented in films and TV, another form of locking us behind closed doors - whilst the idea of 'inspirational' disabled stories is entertainment, real disabled people are considered unpalatable to watch.

Disabled people are saying this is a problem, but the practice continues. We need our abled allies to stand with us and say this practice should be relegated to the past.

Of course I would like to take on Hollywood, Netflix, and others who keep ploughing money into this upsetting practice – but the reason these films continue to be commissioned is because they continue to make money.

I'm asking you to sign this petition to ask the major cinema chains to refuse to play 'Come as you are', a new film in which a group of disabled people are all played by able bodied people and, going forward, to refuse to play films that exhibit 'cripping up'. You can also help by not going to watch these films - remove your money to make a point.