Disability activist Hannah Diviney on the importance of representation

She's never been afraid to dream big

The disability activist, actor, writer and author opens up about representation, mental health and dreaming big.

Your first acting role was on SBS series Latecomers in 2022, which was heralded for being groundbreaking television. Can you explain why it was considered revolutionary? 

The reason Latecomers was considered so groundbreaking was because it was a show about people with cerebral palsy, written and created by people with cerebral palsy. It also explores sexuality and romance, which are topics that rarely come up in the same kind of conversational space as disability.

As far as we are aware, I am the first person with a disability in the country to do a sex scene on television. It’s ridiculous that it took until 2022 for that to be the case. It’s a piece of history I never really thought I would own, but I think that representation is so important. Even though we’ve made a lot of progress in the last two decades in terms of how we view disability here in Australia, we’ve still got a long way to go. 

You posted some glamorous red carpet photos from a screening of your latest film, Audrey, on social media and revealed that you had experienced a panic attack prior to the event. Why is transparency with your followers important to you? 

I find travelling away from my family and being with carers to be an anxiety-inducing experience, because I’m putting my trust in people I don’t really know, which is a forced intimacy. So I was sitting in a cafe before the event and had a major panic attack, which was very public. I worry that when people look at Instagram and they see red carpets or movie posters or magazine shoots, they compare their lives to that, and it makes it harder for them. I want to remind people that, yeah, I get to have those really cool moments, but it can be a double-edged situation because I’m still me. 

You’re set to be a speaker at the Driving Change Summit in November, which aims to drive change in policy, production, attitudes and storytelling around disability. Can you give us a taste of what you’ll be focusing on? 

We will be giving everyone at the summit a preview of Audrey, and then we’ll be doing a panel discussion about the experience of making the film, with a focus on accessibility on set and all the lessons we learnt along the way – the things that work well, the things that we learnt from, the things that we think other productions will need to know.

[It’ll be about] looking forward as the film industry continues to employ disabled people, whether that’s for roles in front of the camera or behind it. 

From successfully advocating for globally famous artists like Beyoncé and Lizzo to change ableist lyrics in their songs, to appearing in your first film and writing your book, I’ll Let Myself In, it’s been a big couple of years for you. What’s next?

My National Press Club address, which, as far as I can tell, I will be the first wheelchair user to do so. Again, I’m honoured to have that piece of history, but also, come on, guys, the National Press Club has existed for the past 60 years, how could I be the first? Obviously, I feel a lot of pressure from that. I’m very aware of who will be in that room and what the stakes might be. But I think the disabled community across the country has been given a pretty raw deal at the moment, so I’ll be trying to articulate why that needs to change.

Latecomers led to a role in the Australian comedy, Audrey. How did you approach this film?

This role was interesting because I didn't have to audition, which is very rare. That normally only happens if you're a big name. But the production team saw me doing press for Latecomers, got themselves an early copy of the first episode and decided I would be perfect for the role of Nora Lipstick in Audrey. She's a 15-year-old girl presented as The Forgotten Child, which is like a really humorous subversion of the stereotypical family dynamics around having a child with a disability. Because unfortunately by virtual necessity, they often become the centre of attention just because they need so many protective resources. It was fun to put that on its head. I spent most of the shoot in a school uniform, which was slightly traumatising to, even though it wasn't mine, put the school uniform back on. It was like having intense flashbacks. Nora is super passionate about the art of fencing, so I actually got to do some training before shooting started, which was really fun and a skill that I'd never considered learning it in any capacity before, let alone to be shot on camera. 

What makes you angry? 

I really struggle with the apathy in the world and the fact that a lot of people are so insulated by what's going on in their own lives, that they don’t see how hard life can be for other people, or have empathy for others. 

What brings you joy?

It brings me joy knowing that no matter what it's going on in the world, someone is having a good day. I could be having the worst day ever and someone else could have just found out they got their dream job, or heard ‘I love you’ for the first time, or found out they're finally able to have a baby. When I feel overwhelmed by the state of the world, I find it helpful to step back and romanticise things like that. I also find joy in the tenacity and resilience of people and the fact that even in the worst, most depraved situations, there are people who are still hopeful and still actively working to make that hope stick for them.

Originally published as Disability activist Hannah Diviney on the importance of representation