'I've become the change I want to see'

Roisin Clear, 22, from London, reveals how a lack of disability representation in the media inspired her to become a model

- KATE SKELTON

'It was my sister's birthday and we had agreed to meet at King's Cross station before we headed out for the night. As I looked around for her, I spotted a familiar face and did a double take. But it wasn't my sister. It was someone who looked exactly like me. Then the penny dropped. It was me!

My face was on six metre-long billboard posters advertising Madame Tussauds splashed all over the London Underground - including King's Cross.

"That's absolutely huge!" I gasped.

It was surreal to look up and see my face smiling back at me and I couldn't help but laugh. I felt so many emotions, but above all, I felt a sense of pride and delight.

A few weeks earlier I had taken part in a publicity campaign for Madam Tussauds. It wasn't my first big modelling job - I've been on the TV and radio, and in the newspapers, multiple times.

But each modelling job has been a real "pinch me" moment. I love doing modelling shoots: I love having my make-up and hair done, getting to wear clothes that have been especially picked for me, and posing for the camera.

It's more than that, though.

I never thought I'd be able to model because of narrow perceptions of what a model "should" look like. I was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that impairs a person's ability to control their movement and posture. Due to increased stiffness in my body, and a lack of coordination and balance, I use walking aids and a wheelchair to help me move around.

So I was delighted to sign with the inclusive modelling agency Zebedee Talent in 2020 and be offered paid modelling jobs.

FACING CHALLENGES