Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine July 2021 | Page 50

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Realwheels Productions is focused on breaking down barriers and destigmatizing preconceptions around people with disabilities . They are about normalizing one of the many equity-seeking groups that is still marginalized and prejudged . Race , ethnicity , gender and sexual orientation are attracting ongoing movements of recognition , yet persons with disabilities are still discriminated against or seen as “ other ” despite being one of the largest of these marginalized societal groups . As Artistic Director of Realwheels , Tomas Mureika expressed , “ rather ironic , considering we may all at some time in our lives live with a disability .”
This ‘ integrated ' theatre company , located in Vancouver , Canada , includes those living with disability and others who are TABS ( temporarily able bodied ). “ We see disability on a spectrum , affecting all our lives in different ways and at different points of time ,” said Managing Director , Cadence Konopaki . “ Some are born with a disability ; some acquire it later in life . Some have large barriers due to systemic inaccessibility in our world , some have smaller barriers . But in some way and at some time , disability is part of all our lives .”