Model challenges discrimination, champions disabled
TORONTO — Sophie Morgan makes a point each year of marking the milestone that would leave a lasting imprint on her life — the car accident six years ago that left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
“I have a party every year,” she said. “I don’t see it as a negative thing. It’s not the worst moment in my life.”
“Some people on their anniversaries they just get drunk and they don’t want to talk to anyone and they get really depressed, and I’ve never really got that way,” she added. “I’ve always been like, ‘Right, I’m going to get all my friends and we’re going to have a celebration of life.’
“It’s like a wake at a funeral. Celebrate the life, not the death.”
The London-based Morgan said the accident also gave her a shift in perspective when it came to what she wanted to do with her life. Rather than forging ahead with plans to study law, she decided to pursue art. Along the way, she took an unexpected detour into the fashion world, appearing in the U.K. reality series Britain’s Missing Top Model, which has its Canadian TV premiere this week on One: the Body, Mind and Spirit Channel.
Morgan is among eight women with disabilities — including hearing impairment and missing limbs — who are featured in the six-part series vying for a shot at becoming a professional model and taking home the “Top Model” title, which has a professional photo shoot as a prize.
Morgan said the series is an “amazing platform” to show the fashion industry that women with disabilities are capable of doing all types of modelling, with on-screen assignments including everything from donning haute couture to nude shoots. But despite the progress made, the 25-year-old acknowledges it’s a small part in a much longer journey toward breaking down barriers in the business.
“Just because we did all those things and really showed what disabled girls can achieve doesn’t make the industry turn around and say, ‘Oh, we’re going to start using you in our catwalks and we’re going to use you in our campaigns,”’ Morgan said during a visit to Toronto. “It was a first step to changing some of those opinions.”
The series also serves as a catalyst for Morgan, who is spearheading a campaign called Imperfect designed both to help challenge discrimination against people with disabilities while offering support to those in the disabled community.
Morgan said Imperfect is also aimed at inspiring, motivating and encouraging young people in particular to achieve their goals. That includes organizing events to showcase their talents, such as a planned art exhibition in London for disabled artists which will also help raise money for disabled soldiers, she said.
“I feel when I became disabled . . . you kind of get on with it and go back into your life. The emphasis is on rehab and getting back into your life again. It’s about trying to make your life normal again,” she said.
“And I think what happens with disability is often you can make more of yourself.
“People I’ve encountered anyway that have an injury, they want more from their lives because they have these life-changing experiences and they become so driven.”
During her visit, Morgan said she’s had a chance to meet with Canadian designer Izzy Camilleri who has created a line of adaptable clothing for people who use wheelchairs. Morgan said she’s hoping for the chance to collaborate with Camilleri in the future, including possibly helping her bring her clothing line to the U.K.
“I think a lot of women in wheelchairs give up that thought that they can still dress how they want to dress, be like how they want to be, look like how they want to look because suddenly you’re so changed. Your body image has just become completely just different,” she said. “I think what Izzy is trying to do is to help women to think that they can still take pride in your appearance and dress how they want to dress. . . . It’s really important what she’s doing.”
Morgan is also continuing to advocate for people with disabilities to be represented in the fashion industry.
“Within that world of disability, there’s still these beautiful . . . amazing-looking women that could sell a product just as well as the next girl,” she said. “If you can get that into the High Street, it can start changing people’s lives.”
Britain’s Missing Top Model airs Mondays at 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. and on Saturdays at 11 p.m. on One: the Body, Mind and Spirit Channel.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.