Hannah Diviney’s got some serious runs on the board when it comes to true representation in media.
Key points:
- More than 65,000 people have backed a petition for Disney to create a princess with a disability
- Hannah Diviney’s advocacy has seen Lizzo and Beyoncé change their lyrics
- A social science academic says Hollywood’s risk-averse nature is a major roadblock to diversity in film
Armed with nothing more than a phone and a decent social media following, she has taken on Beyoncé and Lizzo, successfully convincing them to remove ableist slurs from their music.
And now the writer and actor has an even bigger target in sight.
The magical world of Disney.
“Trying to get the House of Mouse to do anything is quite tricky,” Diviney said with a smile.
The thing she wants is for the Walt Disney Corporation to create a Disney princess with a disability.
Diviney has cerebral palsy, a physical disability that affects her fine and gross motor skills.
As a result, she navigates the world with the assistance of a wheelchair.
“Representation is the most important thing in the world,” she told ABC Victorian Mornings.
“Without it, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of equating the fact that you don’t see yourself anywhere with this idea that you shouldn’t be in the world.”
What’s taking so long?
It’s been three years since she first started her petition to Disney for better on-screen representation.
More than 65,000 people have joined the cause, something Diviney said made her feel like a rock star.
“I’ve chosen one of the biggest companies in the world to target,” Diviney said.
“It’s going slower than I’d hoped; I think that’s definitely a slow burn.”
Associate Professor Lauren Rosewarne, from The University of Melbourne’s School of Social and Political Sciences, has spent years researching representation in media.
Dr Rosewarne said “we’re a while away from” the likelihood of Disney acceding to Diviney’s request.
“Hollywood is risk-averse and they do not spend big bucks on a film with an unknown talent at the helm … therefore risky projects tend not to be made,” she said.
The fear of failure
Dr Rosewarne said that fear of fiscal failure was partly why Hollywood was seemingly obsessed with reboots.
She said it would likely be up to TV series and production companies like Netflix to pave the way for larger corporations to have truly representative characters in cinema.
“You have to prime an audience to demonstrate that they’re willing to watch this stuff, that then starts the process of desensitising them to different content, and I suspect that’s more likely to happen through streaming services,” she said.
Meaning a Disney princess with a disability probably remains a pipedream.
“In terms of anytime soon, no, I don’t think it will happen,” Dr Rosewarne said.
I’m listening, says the mouse. But is he?
The Walt Disney Company did not respond to questions by the ABC.
Instead, it pointed to a previous statement released to Australian Women’s Weekly where a spokesperson said the company was listening.
“We love Hannah’s passion and hear her important voice on why inclusive and representative storytelling matters,” the Disney spokesperson said in 2022.
“As storytellers at Disney, we’re committed to reflecting the incredibly rich diversity of the human experience in ways that inspire, open minds and hearts, and bring people closer together in a world where we all belong.”
However, the company has yet to confirm whether that will include the creation of a character that uses a wheelchair.
Hannah Diviney will not be deterred.
“It’s no accident that I want to increase representation for children because that’s where I struggled the most,” she said
“I’ve chosen one of the biggest companies in the world to target in doing that.
“I’m really lucky to have kind of created my own space in this industry, through acting and writing.
“So even if Disney doesn’t necessarily get behind it, I think something will hopefully be coming [soon] for children so they can feel that representation.”