“In order for people with disabilities to be properly accepted in society, they need to be properly represented in the media. People need to see and therefore understand that people with disabilities do normal jobs, just like anyone else. This could be shown in TV programmes, Ads with disabled actors/models, etc. This representation will hopefully increase awareness of disabilities and help normalize them in society.”
Born with a growth restriction - Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia congenita (SEDc) but refusing to let this hinder him, Mattie has won gold medals in various sports at the World Dwarf Games. Mattie has previously worked with the BBC and he acts as an ambassador for Bristol Sport, seeking to raise awareness to those with growth disorders and manages to balance this with studying for his A-Levels.
Mattie feels that there is room for evolution in the fashion industry; this boils down to his personal experience of shopping for clothes. Due to the nature of Mattie’s growth restriction, he struggles to find clothing items that fit him, as well as show his age, because he is limited to the children’s section.
Mattie has never let his disability define him and is currently pursuing his burning passion for singing. Although Mattie has always had enough confidence to spare, he believes that there needs to be more representation for disabilities as a whole in order for others in his position to fulfill their potential. You can read more about Mattie’s work here -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-43300124/teen-with-dwarfism-hopes-success-will-end-prejudice
Image taken by Nicholas Moylan