PWDs Struggle for Representation in Singapore’s Entertainment Industry
A man in a wheelchair stares out a window at a view of trees and distant buildings, his expression blank, with a hint of sadness. A caregiver enters, beaming a bright smile and trying to cheer him up.
“My mother says you’re chatty. Can we strike a deal whereby you are very unchatty around me?” he responds gruffly.
Her smile fades as she leaves the room shortly after.
Scenes like these in Me Before You can stir mixed emotions. But how might people with disabilities (PWDs) interpret them?
“Sometimes, we see disabled characters as helpless and pitiful. That’s wrong! PWDs lead their own lives and can be as happy as anyone else,” asserts Zareena Nazimuddin (“Reena”), a filmmaker with dyslexia.
However, in Singapore, the number of PWD actors is incredibly low—so few that one could count them on one hand.
Theresa Chan, a deaf-blind teacher, played herself in Eric Khoo’s Be With Me, and Timothy Lee, an actor with Down syndrome, played a lead role in Mediacorp’s Kin.
Yet, “PWDs barely even have representation in the media,” remarks Jade Ow, a 22-year-old actress with hearing loss.
Jade, who refuses to wear hearing devices despite some hearing retention, depends on lip-reading for communication, which presents unique challenges when acting. For example, it becomes difficult to perform when her back is turned to other actors, or when the performance takes place in darkness.
Reflecting on the struggles she faced during auditions, Jade shares: “After facing rejection in 59 out of 60 auditions, I was about to give up on my dream of becoming an actress.”
True representation of PWDs is still rare. More often, able-bodied actors take on roles of disabled characters. For instance, Richie Koh played an intellectually disabled man in Mediacorp’s Your World in Mine, and Andrew Marko received acclaim for his role as a teenager with severe autism in Falling, a production by Pangdemonium.
“The bigger issue is that PWDs are often only cast in roles about disabilities,” Jade explains. “Directors seem to feel the need to justify and defend a disabled actor’s presence on stage.”
Reena is determined to change this narrative. As a 41-year-old teacher-turned-filmmaker, she decided to create a film to normalize disability representation within Singapore’s acting scene and beyond.
Diagnosed with dyslexia, Reena faces challenges with paperwork and directions but has overcome them to thrive as a teacher, scriptwriter, and director.
“The real challenge for actors and actresses with disabilities isn’t their condition, but society’s stubborn refusal to see them beyond their disabilities,” says Reena.
This mindset motivated Reena to direct The Damned Ones in 2023, a film with a full cast of PWDs portraying characters whose disabilities are not the central focus of the story. Instead, the film is a supernatural mystery thriller.
“I wanted to create an opportunity for any PWD struggling to break into the film industry,” Reena states. “I wanted to tell a story with disabled leads that wasn’t about disability.”
The film stars:
Jade Ow, an actress with moderate to severe hearing impairment.
Amanda Yip, who has retinitis pigmentosa, causing progressive vision loss.
Michael Parks, who faces undiagnosed reading and memory challenges.
In The Damned Ones, Siti, played by Amanda, is a university student accused of plagiarism and then disappears. Her classmate Laura, played by Jade, is the main suspect. However, a supernatural force haunts the guilty, forcing the characters to confront strange visions. The characters must uncover the mystery before it’s too late.
While Reena recognizes that disability is a key part of the actors’ identities, she consciously avoids making it the sole focus of the story. “To me, including disabled actors just to cater to able-bodied audiences feels ableist. PWDs shouldn’t only exist to serve the experience of others,” she explains.
Jade’s journey to representation has been difficult. After 60 auditions, she was rejected 59 times.
Currently studying Theatre and Performance Studies at the National University of Singapore, Jade’s passion for acting dates back to her childhood.
She recalls auditioning for 60 roles in 2021, including for Mediacorp’s Channel 5, advertisements, independent films, and theater productions.
“Many auditions didn’t provide feedback, but many times, my pronunciation was an issue,” Jade says, noting that her hearing condition affects how she speaks.
Jade remembers facing difficulties with directors who didn’t understand how she struggled to communicate without lip-reading. “They often walked away disappointed.”
In 2022, Jade reached a low point while working as a lighting operator in a local stage production. When she realized she couldn’t lip-read the manager’s instructions due to the lighting setup, she didn’t reveal her hearing condition but asked for visual or tactile cues. Unfortunately, on performance day, the manager failed to provide cues, and Jade was let go for not managing the stage lights properly.
Despite these setbacks, Jade didn’t give up. “Pure masochism and determination” kept her going. Finally, after her 60th audition, Jade was cast in a student-directed film.
A turning point came when Jade and Amanda joined BEYOND DIS:PLAY, a professional theater program for disabled actors at ART:DIS in 2023. This led to their roles in The Damned Ones.
For Amanda, The Damned Ones represents her acting debut. She firmly believes that being disabled shouldn’t limit an actor to playing stereotypical roles. “If I were cast as a blind character who just sits in a corner, I’d feel discriminated against. Anyone could do that role,” she says. “Being disabled doesn’t mean we’re just props.”
Michael, meanwhile, has acted as an extra in several Mediacorp shows but aspires to have a speaking role. “I want to challenge myself as an actor,” he says.
Peter Sau, head of performing arts at ART:DIS, believes the core issue is the lack of training and accessible learning opportunities for PWDs. Performing arts schools and academies still lack resources like creative enablers, sighted guides, or sign language interpreters.
The making of The Damned Ones faced logistical challenges as well. Due to the cast’s disabilities, Reena allowed them to improvise much of their dialogue. “Improvisation came naturally to them, which helped reduce the number of shoot days and expenses,” she shares.
During outdoor shoots, Reena worried about her cast’s safety, especially Amanda, who struggles with vision loss. Fortunately, the crew remained vigilant, ensuring that Amanda didn’t sustain injuries during the shoot.
Reena’s decision to cast Jade as Laura led her to adjust the script. Initially an able-bodied character, Laura became a hard-of-hearing character, with dialogue reflecting her refusal to wear hearing aids because “they hurt my ears.”
Jade notes, “We want to show the audience that just because a disability is invisible doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
Funding for The Damned Ones was another hurdle. Reena faced several rejections for initial funding and sponsorships, often due to concerns over the disabled cast being seen as a “risk management issue.” Reena also struggled with dyslexia, finding it difficult to navigate text-heavy grant documents.
In the end, Reena used her savings to fund the project. The budget of S$7,000 was a fraction of what a typical horror film would cost. Despite the challenges, the film earned third place at the Pokka Film Festival and gained recognition, including an award from Member of Parliament Louis Ng.
Looking ahead, Reena aims to secure sponsorships to enhance the film’s quality and compete in major international film festivals, with additional funding needed for professional audio and color grading.
Reena’s vision is to normalize disability through films and reduce bias against PWDs. “The only way I can do justice to my cast and crew is by bringing this film to these festivals and recognizing their talents,” she affirms.
But the journey for PWDs in the film industry doesn’t end with The Damned Ones. Reena’s efforts are part of a larger movement toward treating PWDs as people, not just as people with disabilities.
“We need to treat PWDs as people first,” says Jade. “We have untold stories, complexities, and nuances that deserve to be seen on screen.”
