"I'm an autistic artist and I'm proud of that," says Scott Price.(ABC RN: Hannah Reich)
Scott Price, who describes himself as a proudly "autistic artist", says that while things "have actually improved a lot, there's still a long way to go — in terms of the psychology of people".
Price has been acting with Geelong's Back to Back Theatre, comprised primarily of performers with disability, for 11 years now, but still encounters stigma — including members of the general public making assumptions about what he can and can't do.
Back to Back often directly tackle issues of perception and representation in their work.
For example, their award-winning production Ganesh Versus the Third Reich dealt with "who has the right to tell stories", according to Price.
He isn't sure what the answer is, but he is certain that abled-bodied actors should not be cast in disabled roles.
"It's like blackface, and it should be taken out," he said.
Source: ABC