Inclusive modelling agency has faced online criticism for NDIS modelling retreats

Key points:

• Diversity Models is an inclusive modelling agency and has signed many models with disability who receive opportunities for paid photoshoots
• Diversity Models Academy, a sister company, allows NDIS participants to learn about modelling during short-term accommodation respite for up to seven days
• The founder of Diversity Models, Monique Jerimiah, has faced criticism from online trolls but said she focuses on ‘dealing with people who are positive and weeding out the rest’

Monique Jerimiah, is the multi-talented owner of Diversity Models, an inclusive modelling agency.

As an educator of high school and university students for 13 years, Monique took her passion for helping others achieve and interest in modelling to include people with disability.

Signed models at Diversity Models include children and adults as well as people with and without disability. Models are booked for paid modelling opportunities and photoshoots, which increases the visibility of disability in the media and advertising.

However, NDIS participants who want to learn more about what a modelling career might be like can enroll in the Diversity Models Academy.

Diversity Models Academy, a sister company of Diversity Models, offers modelling retreats for girls, teens and women with disability who are interested in learning about modelling and developing their social skills. 

The retreats are run with small groups only for varying lengths — two days, four days or seven days in Byron Bay or the Gold Coast. 

Activities to develop skills and learn more about modelling include indoor and outdoor photoshoots, catwalk classes, makeup classes and posing classes.

NDIS participants may be eligible to use Short Term Accommodation funding to attend modelling retreats at Diversity Models Academy. 

Monique, pictured bottom right, encourages anyone interested in modelling to give it a go. [Source: supplied; Diversity Models]

 

However, Monique has faced criticism about the Diversity Models Academy from online trolls and still believes strongly that such services are improving the lives of people with disability.

“These modelling retreats are something new and it’s just a matter of making people aware of what we do and how it [can] fix problems in the [disability] sector,” she said.

“I have acknowledged that people do bully and this is very common. I had 600-odd people attacking online — it was very intense.

“I’ll ignore [the trolls] because it’s a matter of dealing with people who are positive and weeding out the rest.”

Online trolls are people on the internet who often use alternate usernames to attack or intimidate others and this can include online hate. 

If you think you might be a target of online trolls, help is available. 

According to the eSafety Commissioner website, you should not respond to comments online, even if this might be tempting. Collect evidence of the comments, e.g. by creating a screenshot, and then block the online troll. 

If this still doesn’t work, you report online abuse on the eSafety Commissioner website.

Monique encouraged anyone with disability who is interested in modelling to give it a go.

“I believe they should give modelling a chance because modelling is something that will help you to grow your confidence right from the start,” she said.

“Every person is unique, and if you join Diversity Models, you will be able to be yourself as a model and you will naturally grow confident.”

The Diversity Models agency has signed models with invisible and visible disabilities. [Source: supplied; Matthew Cornell Photography]

 

In addition to being a modelling agency, Diversity Models offers packages for school formals including hair, makeup and pre-photoshoots at their Benowa studio in Queensland. 

To contact Diversity Models, email [email protected] or visit the Diversity Models website. 

An estimated 18 percent of Australians have disability, as per recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Other famous models with disability include Madeline Stuart, an Australian with Down syndrome, who walked down the catwalk at New York Fashion Week in 2015.

Since then, she has modelled for dozens of fashion events across the globe, been featured in many publications such as Forbes, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Elle, launched her own clothing line and opened a dance studio.

Read more about Madeline’s modelling journey in this article: Madeline’s story: Walking the runway for equality.

Additionally, clothing brands such as Tommy Hilfiger use models with disability on their website for the brand Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, which began in 2016. 

Some of the clothing adaptions include magnetic buttons, velcro, pull-drawstrings that don’t require tying and one-handed zippers. 

 

What part of modelling do you think you’d enjoy most?

Let the team at Talking Disability know on social media. 

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