Selma Blair Delivers Speech On Disability in Hollywood

Image Source: Getty / Stefanie Keenan

Selma Blair has become a Hollywood advocate for individuals with disabilities in recent years. The actress took up the mission after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in August 2018. On Dec. 8, she accepted the Equity in Entertainment Award at The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 Women in Entertainment gala, sponsored by Fiji Water. While accepting her award, Blair brought a room full of her peers to tears and their feet after delivering an emotional speech about the importance of inclusivity in Hollywood — specifically to provide more visibility for people with disabilities.

“My story is but one of many,” she said to the room that included stars like Tessa Thompson and Jennifer Aniston. “The disability is not a distant monolith. It is an attractable part of a shared humanity. And everyone in this room knows the power of entertainment to create a sense of community. And it is our responsibility, those of us in this room, to do so.”

Blair also spoke on where the change begins in Hollywood: shining a light on more stories we don’t see often enough. “By creating more inclusive content, by telling stories, that more authentically represent and include all of us,” she added. “By being allies in our works based by setting the bar higher for accessibility standards. By living and working in the intersectionality of our collective human experience, we become worthy of the enormous access and influence we have.” Hear the rest of Blair’s touching speech ahead.