Emmerdale actor with cerebral palsy calls for wider disability awareness

James Moore has called for greater awareness and knowledge on how disability can impact a person’s motor skills after he was wrongfully pulled over by police, suspected of drink driving.

Taking to Twitter to share his experiences, Moore – known for playing Ryan Stocks on the ITV soap – revealed that a member of the public called the police suspecting Moore of driving under the influence after seeing him leaving a restaurant with his girlfriend.

So @AtaxiaUK are running a campaign called disordered not drunk, where disabled people recount their stories of mistakenly being labelled drunk. Tonight I seem to have a new one.
I went for a meal with my girlfriend, and as I was walking back to my car, someone apparently 1/2

— James Moore ♿️ (@jamesmooreactor) November 18, 2019

Because disability can affect balance and motor skills. It’s hard to tell sometimes. But maybe the easiest thing to do is ask. The police were fantastic- really understanding, and they let me go on my way very quickly, but it could have easily been avoided with a simple question

— James Moore ♿️ (@jamesmooreactor) November 18, 2019

Living with ataxic cerebral palsy, Moore’s speech and movement is impacted.

Charity Ataxia currently run a campaign entitled Disordered Not Drunk to highlight how ataxia can disrupt the perception of people. 

Symptoms can include being wobbly, with assumptions a person is drunk commonly being misjudged.

Moore’s recent experience highlights the conversations that are still necessary in terms of understanding disability and how certain conditions can impact motor skills.

Have you ever had the same experience? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram.