COLLEEN COSPLAY
Diversity in cosplay means that everyone has the option to participate if they want to. This means making events accessible for disabled cosplayers! This includes having accessible venues and wheelchair ramps for cosplay contest stages. Cosplay can't be for everyone if disabled cosplayers can't access the location.
I started cosplaying as an able-bodied cosplayer, or at least able-bodied passing.
I fell in love with the cosplay competition scene and attending conventions at that time. Over the years I developed a disorder that got progressively worse and made my disability more visible to those around me through the use of braces and mobility aids. I had never considered this would change the way I participated in cosplay. I still did craftsmanship and competed, but people started commenting on the inaccuracies of my mobility aids.
Most of the cosplay community is incredibly welcoming and for that I am grateful, but even the few comments pointing out my disability were hurtful as someone coming to terms with lifelong disability myself. The biggest shock was when I started using a wheelchair and discovered the inaccessibility of some conventions. Cosplay contests I had competed at for years prior that never had a wheelchair ramp for their stages, I was unable to compete at with my disability.
There were a lot of disappointing solutions that conventions came up with to overcome this inaccessibility. Perhaps I could compete on the floor while everyone else was on the stage? I ended up having to choose where to attend and compete based on accessibility.
The craftsmanship of the costume which had always been my main focus for craftsmanship competitions took a back seat to advocating for if I could compete at all as a disabled cosplayer.
colleen_cosplay as Draculara from Monster High, photography assisted by colleen’s husband