My name is Dan proud father to the incredible, strong, funny action seeking Emily who uses a wheelchair and has Spina Bifida.
When Emily was small she said “i don’t see wheelchairs on the telly..are they allowed?” GULP…WOW…what a statement!
It was then I decided if TV wasn’t going to do it..I would! that’s when the light bulb moment happened and i created…
The Department of Ability! superheroes using their disabilities as their superpowers! I used a mixed bag of characters,
Emily , the only human!, and her flying wheelchair and superior upper body strength Azzazatz the Alien, crash landed on Earth and retrofitted with a prosthetic bio-mechanical arm Pawsy the cheetah, rescued after an accident at London zoo and now reaches super speeds with his fusion powered Running blade Claypole, Ghost, brilliant scientist recalled blind from the afterlife and uses white canes….for justice…!
Billy, the dog, rescued from a hit and run, and gets around now with carbon wheels and a tail that acts as a radar and jet!
Each “born to be different..born to save the world”
If you go to my website, FB site or twitter, you can see and read ALL about them! and see the growing army of followers..more every day!
The D.O.A (for short) were designed to be as accessible as possible without losing sight of the aim behind their creation , as I noticed that the majority of Disabled characters across the medium of media were purely static or there to educate, and if this project was to encourage positive, diverse, inclusion then it HAD to be accessible…the kids I meet at Stoke Manderville sports, wheelchair basketball or charity events all tell me they have had enough of discussing their disability, they hate their stereotyped images, they want proper inclusion in the medium that they, like all kids consume! TV and comics! I am hoping the D.O.A can, if a 21st century tv exec can open his aged old eyes, get these kids the the inclusion that they deserve and get all kids of ALL abilities to join in, chat, meet and have a common interest they can share! not much too ask..is it?
I am writing and drawing the first D.O.A Comic at home, (It is being printed and published by the forward thinking STRONGBONES charity) I have given up paid employment to fulfil this dream, I am convinced, and so are all my wonderful followers online, that it can work! I am writing and drawing outlandish action packed global superhero adventures, whilst annoying anyone I can in the media to listen to me and 12MILLION other incredible people in this stunning community! its tiring and hard work, but it will take a lesser man to light a flame! I believe the time for change is coming, be it my characters or someone elses’ but things need to happen! the dark ages are over.
So far I have had fantastic online support from Disability Horizons/SCOPE/MENCAP/Hannah Cockcroft/Tanni Grey Thompson/Sky tv hosts/paralympians/celebs like Warwick Davies and The Last Leg. I have been shouting the project on : BBC Couch, Sky Sunrise, The Wright Stuff, ABC news, soooo many papers and magazines and radio stations! The want for the comic is coming in worldwide now, so i better sign off and get scribbling! If the word on the D.O.A can be spread to anyone, anywhere as far as possible, any likes, tweets..shares..shouts even! that would be awesome! TV is the next logical step whilst the in demand comic is in production! 12 million is not a minority there is nothing to loose, but EVERYTHING to gain!
The finished comic will be out next March/April, worldwide distribution, anyone can contact me! always need help! working on your own can be tiring! haha!
Please lets work together and open the bigger world to this amazing community of strong, independent people – thank you! you can find teasers/info/pics/even the theme tune by Calling Utopia at:
http://www.departmentofability.com/
www.facebook.com/The-Department-of-Ability-1463121457321060/timeline/
Lets make this happen…positive, strong, inclusion is a must.
Tv has…nothing to loose BUT everything to GAIN.
Thanks!
Dan..man with a plan