Corrie Stars lead the way in helping tv companies better reflect their audiences

Actors Cherylee Houston and Melissa Johns have helped set up a Disabled Actors Networking Community to improve representation on screen Credit: ITV Granada

ONE in FIVE of us has a disability but that is hardly ever portrayed on screen.

Coronation Street actors Cherylee Houston and Melissa Johns are leading the way, encouraging production companies to better reflect their audiences.

They've created DANC, a Disabled Artists Networking Community and a database of contacts, to encourage more conversations with tv companies, theatres and arts venues to promote better representation.

Until now programme makers said they didn't know where to find disabled actors when casting.

Now in a major step forward, the makers of some of the country's best dramas, Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect Productions have pledged to audition at least one disabled actor as part of the casting sessions for each new episode in all their shows.

Here's our correspondent Elaine Willcox with the first of two signed reports.

Click here to watch a short film about DANC filmed at July’s DANC event at The Comedy Store Manchester by David Wright