Former Standup Comic
HENRY HOLDEN
Now an Activist for
the Disabled Says …
Don’t DIS the Ability
by J.C. Johnson / Comedy Profiles Editor
T a l k i n g C o m e d y . c o m |
Don’t DIS the ability...
that’s one of the driving themes behind the lectures Henry Holden
delivers at college campuses across America. Holden contracted polio as
a child during the epidemic that swept the nation in ‘52. But the
physical disability that remained with him after the illness had passed
never stopped him from excelling in life. Holden may need the aid of crutches
to walk but he never saw his disability as a limitation. He chose instead
to focus on the pursuit of his life’s passion for acting, comedy
and sports.
“My parents had expectations of me,” confides Holden. “They
expected me to go to college... to be independent... to drive a car. As
a matter of fact they would have liked me to be a lawyer,” admits
Holden, adding with a laugh, “but, I played a lawyer on Hill Street
Blues and a Judge on Jake and the Fatman.”
And although Holden’s immediate circle of
family and friends were encouraging he was bombarded with discouraging
images from other sources. “There is a tendency for society to focus
on the disability rather than the ability of those in the disabled community,”
confides Holden. “Unfortunately society looks at people with disabilities
and immediately they look at it as a limitation. Growing up in the fifties
and the sixties I never saw a person with a disability acting. The only
time you saw people with disabilities on television was on telethons.
Telethons evoke pity and sorrow. They make you feel guilty,” recalls
Holden, as he explains the strong impact the media has on shaping society’s
view of the disabled. This impact goes beyond shaping how others view
the disabled even going so far as to effect how the disabled view themselves.
“So I had that to fight against,” admits Holden.
“It’s a
whole image problem,” suggests Holden. When people look at someone
with a disability they shouldn't cringe, they shouldn’t feel sorry.
“Should I feel sorry for someone because they’re a woman...
should I feel sorry for someone because they’re Black or Hispanic.
No. The same thing has to happen for people with disabilities. Instead
of feeling sorry for people with disabilities they have to see the value,”
continues Holden. He stresses that society has to realize the disabled
person is not less than a person.
Changing the
Way Society Views the Disabled
 Seeing
a need to change the way society views the disabled Henry Holden worked
behind the scene to make a difference. As an actor he founded the Performers
with Disabilities Committee of the Screen Actors Guild, in the 1970’s,
to encourage the entertainment and advertising industries to hire people
with disabilities as performers. “The disabled community needs to
see themselves reflected in society,” urges Holden. But too many
in the disabled community are not participating in life. There are various
reasons for this ranging from low self-esteem, to not wanting to be noticed,
to low expectations of themselves. Henry Holden feels it’s important
for the media to be leaders for change. “They’re not there to
follow society, they have to lead,” urges Holden. “And they
have that power.”
Henry Holden believes more inclusion on TV, movies and in print would
prove a major catalyst for increasing the employment rate across other
industries in America. The media has the power to change employer’s
perceptions of the disabled and disabled people’s perceptions of
themselves. Film, television and theater play an enormous role in molding
attitudes toward people with disabilities. “That box has so much
power,” says Holden referring to the impact television has on society.
Holden wants others in the disabled community to realize how great an
impact the media has. If the average person in America watches 6 1/2 hours
of television a day there is a great persuasive power there. But if you’re
only seeing disabled people a little over 1% of the time that sends a
message to society, whether intentionally or not, that sends a message.
“That’s terrible, what other group would accept that,”
says Holden. “But the disabled community does accept it and they
need to be outraged.”
The Disabled Community
Needs to Become Involved
“The disabled community themselves needs to
get involved,” urges Holden. “I can only do so much. I can bring
things to people’s attention, but...” To help encourage more
involvement Henry Holden started an organization about seven years ago
called DIME - Disability in Media Everywhere. Many people
believe that litigation is the only answer to improving opportunities
for people with disabilities. DIME, however, believes there is
a better way. This advocacy organization believes in working with, not
against, those in decision-making positions to increase the representation
of actors with disabilities in all areas of the mass media. By encouraging
people to write letters to the networks and studios they are slowly seeing
changes in media representation.
DIME needs your help to make their mission of inclusion a reality.
Henry Holden is asking all those interested in getting involved, whether
they be disabled or not, to visit www.HenryHolden.com
for more information about Henry Holden,
DIME, their mission and how you can help.
Shows That Have Made
a Difference
Victoria Ann Lewis, the actress with Polio who
played ‘Peggy’, Mack’s secretary on TV’s Knot’s
Landing, for four seasons during the early ‘80s, made a real
impact with her character. At the same time Lewis was also working towards
making changes on stage by founding the Other Voices Project an organization
which is dedicated to the empowerment of writers and performers with disabilities
in the American theater.
Chris Burke, the actor with Down syndrome who starred
in the television show As Life Goes On, has inspired many others
with Down syndrome to believe in themselves. Burke scored a breakthrough
as the first actor with Down syndrome to land a major prime-time series
role, that of mentally challenged teenager Corky Thatcher and has become
a role model for the Down syndrome community. Chris Burke’s Corky
Thatcher character is a fine example of how a disabled character on TV
can change the audience’s perceptions about disability. Burke’s
work, both on his television show and since, has been about spreading
the message that ‘It’s not about your disability — it’s
your ability that counts.’
 But
even Burke himself had others to inspire him. Burke’s main inspiration
for pursuing a career as an actor came at the age of 19 while watching
an episode of The Fall Guy featuring Jason Kingsley, a10-year-old
Down syndrome actor. Burke’s motto for life is ‘Obstacles are
what you see when you take your eye off the goal’ and he has tried
to keep his focus on his goals rather than on the road blocks that come
along the way.
Henry Holden feels that more breakthrough roles like this will help to
change society’s perception of the disabled and ultimately lower
the incredibly high unemployment rate among disabled Americans. “Isn’t
it terrible that we don’t have that type of character on any television
shows today,” laments Holden. But he also stresses that the character
with the disability need not be the focal point or leading character of
a film or television program to help make a difference. Holden believes
the ‘American Scene’ can and should speak for itself through
the usage of actors with disabilities as part of everyday society as husbands,
wives, lawyers, teachers, doctors, politicians, as part of the general
tapestry of American society.
Members of the disabled community can choose to participate in life or
they can isolate themselves. Henry Holden chose to participate. But he
is afraid that too many other members of the disabled community don’t
see a clear choice. They isolate themselves because they think they have
no other choice. Disabled people have to really start feeling good about
themselves, urges Holden. And the only way they’re going to feel
good about themselves is if they see themselves reflected in society.
“I’m on crutches but there are characters on TV on crutches
and they’re working ...or... I’m in a wheelchair but there are
characters I see in commercials that are also in a wheelchair ...or...
I’m deaf but I see a Miss America who’s deaf ...or... I’m
blind but there are characters on TV that are blind,” says Holden.
“If it’s out there then it’s a choice. For years people
with disabilities have felt they didn’t have a choice.”
All those interested in getting
involved, whether they be disabled or not, visit
www.HenryHolden.com
Or
for more information about Henry Holden, DIME, and their mission.
Photo Credits (from top):
Photos courtesy www.HenryHolden.com
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