“Keep asking for what you need.”
Hollyoaks actor Ellie Henry, who uses a wheelchair, has opened up about her experiences with ableism.
The star, who plays Freya Calder in the Channel 4 soap, took part in an Instagram Q&A, where a fan asked her how she handles disability-based discrimination.
“I have had to advocate for myself since day one at drama school,” Ellie wrote. “I wish I could say it gets easier, but it hasn’t for me yet.
“Asking for basic needs such as ramps, extra time to prepare or not working in certain conditions can be made to feel like you’re asking for the earth. I promise you’re not!
“I have had to surround myself with people who remind me I’m asking for reasonable adjustments and they should be provided for me. Keep asking for what you need. Always.”
Ellie added that she was “still learning how to respond to people’s silly questions”, stating: “That’s another one I haven’t got the hang of yet.”
The star joined Hollyoaks in 2022, and last year she was featured in Digital Spy‘s celebration of Disability Pride Month.
We spoke to stars across the major soaps about how far they think disability representation has come, and where the industry still needs to go in order to better showcase disabled people.
“There are so many nuances to the experience of being a teenager or young adult in this world and the insecurities that come with that which are only amplified and added to with disability in the mix,” she said at the time.
Hollyoaks streams first online via Channel 4 each weekday at 7.30pm. Episodes then air on E4 the following day, before getting their YouTube premiere a week after that.
