Kate Stanforth

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Strictly Come Dancing Season brings glitter and glamour to our screens, but here's what disabled dancers are dealing with on a daily basis behind the scenes.

We don't have a wheelchair user in Strictly this season, but I'm not angry at that. Don't get me wrong, I think it would've been an incredible thing, but I know that it would have been more than putting a wheelchair on the dance floor; it would've called for the industry to change.

Hiring a disabled dancer would've meant the professional(s) would've had to learn how to dance with a wheelchair user, but also all 4 judges would've had to learn how to score a disabled dancer fairly. And that might've even meant creating a whole new system. Put that on top of making sure everything is accessible, from costumes to the studios, you can see why it might have just been a bit 'too much' (as I'm told regularly).

Should that be an excuse? Absolutely not. Am I hopeful that there will be a wheelchair user in the future? Yes. I just think that it's more than changing the dance floor. It's changing society.

On that note, I want to highlight what's going on in the dance industry at the moment. Nearly 1 in 5 have a disability, yet as a disabled person, I certainly feel like our rights aren't taken seriously. It's HARD being a disabled dancer/teacher. I get incredibly upset seeing my students be discriminated on a daily basis, and as a teacher, my progress still feels very small.

That being said, there are some organisations who are doing good things, it's not all bad. But, we still have a long way to go.

3 Things I'd like to see:
⭐️ EASY REPORTING
Easy way to report a dance school/organisation for discrimination
⭐️ PATHWAYS
More pathways for disabled dancers - especially teacher training
⭐️ INCLUSION
Opening up more opportunities for disabled dancers

Here's to change.

Kate x