DISABILITIES

By Daniel J. Vance

New York actor Ed Jupp has appeared in the movies Ransom, Born on the Fourth of July, A Beautiful Mind, Jacob's Ladder, The Paper, and in national commercials, and in a slew of television shows including Law and Order.

By chance, he learned of his disability at age 16 when intercepting a note from his parents excusing him from gym class because of “cerebral palsy.” He'd always had difficulty standing. At age 37, after years using a cane, Jupp began using a wheelchair.

Cerebral palsy is caused usually during fetal development when brain damage short-circuits a person's ability to effectively control coordination and body movement. It affects perhaps 750,000 Americans.

“But because of the Americans with Disabilities Act and technology, I now have new ways to get what I want,” said Jupp, now 50, in a telephone interview. “For instance, with the computer I can now compete [with 'able-bodied' people] because I have access to knowledge. When acting on Born on the Fourth of July, I made lots of money, and the first thing I did with it was buy a computer.”

Technology has improved his life. “I can now be employed or interview for a job because buses in New York City are now accessible with lifts,” he said. “Before, I used to have to get out of my wheelchair and crawl up into the bus. I belong to a recreation center that has a pool lift and now I can get into the water and swim for cardiovascular exercise. I can use its weight machines to build muscles.”

And he can gain knowledge using the Internet.

All this technology making wheelchair-using people more visible in real-life, also provides opportunities for actors like Jupp. “When acting I often bring along a wireless telephone and laptop computer,” he said. “I try giving the director ideas on how to portray people with disabilities. My 'props' give the director more to work with and can make a scene more interesting.”

In decades past, Hollywood almost always hired people with disabilities for “inspirational” roles only. But that thinking has been changing in part due to an increasing number of people with disabilities gaining access to the workplace and to computers. Hollywood slowly is starting to reflect this real-life trend, and that should mean more job opportunities for polished actors like Ed Jupp.

For more, see www.danieljvance.com or www.edjupp.com