Karley Moran was a mere dot of a thing when she took to the catwalk to do her thing.
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With all the gumption in the world, Karley, then four, defined herself as a competitor in a modelling quest.
Oddly enough, in a world where Karley is faced with many restrictions, she places none on herself.
But when the Maitland teenager sits down to watch a Disney movie – lately it’s the hugely popular Frozen – she can’t relate to the film’s heroines. Largely, because the characters just don’t look like her.
Karley, 17, is one of the thousands of Australians living with Down syndrome (the population of people with Down syndrome in Australia is more than 13,000), yet while the number of those with the syndrome is growing, its familiarity is not overly represented on the big screen.
Especially, when it comes to Disney productions.
Late last year, American mother Keston Ott-Dahl launched an online petition calling for Disney to introduce more characters with the syndrome.
The petition has attracted in excess of 84,000 signatures since its launch in October.
Disney responded by saying that the brand remained committed to creating characters that are accessible and relatable to all children.
Except, maybe, for those with Down syndrome.
Earlier this month American actress Jamie Brewer (American Horror Story) became the first woman with Down syndrome to grace the runway during New York Fashion Week.
The actress saw the experience as an opportunity to advocate for those with intellectual disabilities.
Of course this is a good thing. But it’s also sad that only now, in 2015, we are reporting that Brewer is the first person with Down syndrome to stride the catwalk. How many New York Fashion Weeks have there been?
So, as for the preconception that all animated heroes or heroines must be unified in their appearance well, come on Disney, let it go.
