Connect Conversation - Should RNIB encourage sighted actors to play blind roles?

Jul 26, 2018, 11:47 AM

Ellie Southwood, Chair of the RNIB, recently posted a blog on HuffPost entitled 'Until We Get More Blind Actors On Screens, We Should Work With Those Like Natalie Dormer Who 'Get It''. Ellie was refering to Natalie's role in the movie In Darkness where she plays a blind woman who witnesses a murder. The RNIB helped and encouraged Natalie to accurately portray someone with sight loss - but should they have? Disagreeing with Ellie are playwrite Amy Bethan-Evans, and Josh from the organisation Extant who were so frustrated by Ellie's blog that they decided to republish it...replacing the word 'blind' for the word 'black'.

Join the conversation and tell us how you feel about this devisive issue by emailing radio@rnib.org.uk or Tweet @RNIBRadio. Links to bloth blogs can be found below.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/in-darkness-natalie-dormeruk5b3dcd29e4b05127ccef1546

http://extant.org.uk/news/natalie_dormer