Disabled actors 'upset by Glee casting'

A group of disabled actors have revealed their upset over the casting of a non-paraplegic person on Glee.

Kevin McHale, who plays wheelchair-bound high school student Artie Abrams on the hit Fox musical comedy, has been viewed as a prime obstacle to showcase stars with real-life disabilities on television, The AP reports.

"I think there's a fear of litigation, that a person with disabilities might slow a production down, fear that viewers might be uncomfortable," CSI cast member Robert David Hall said.

"I've made my living as an actor for 30 years and I walk on two artificial legs."

Brothers star Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell, who was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2001 and is paralysed from the mid-chest down, stated that he sees the "movement" as a way to "hold the networks accountable" for hiring practises.

Mitchell added: "This is what my life is. This is what I want the world to see. I want to hold the networks accountable. If I can come out and do what I'm doing, they can come to the table."

Glee executive producer Brad Falchuk empathised with the aggravation expressed by the disabled actors, though he stood by the decision to recruit the 21-year-old, saying: "It's hard to say no to someone that talented."

He continued: "We brought in anyone: white, black, Asian, in a wheelchair. It was very hard to find people who could really sing, really act, and have that charisma you need on TV."

The cast of Glee will be honoured at this year's Multicultural Motion Picture Association's Diversity Awards on Sunday, November 22.