Mark Zupan Films PSA for United Spinal

The Murderball star becomes the spokesperson for anyone who’s ever had to wait for an accessible parking spot.

By Jennifer Rodriguez-Khadir

Mark Zupan scowls at a crucial moment of a new public
service announcement for United Spinal Association.

With his short red hair and long red goatee, US Paralympic quad rugby player Mark Zupan has become an icon since his starring role in the 2005 documentary Murderball, followed by indestructible appearances on MTV’s Jackass and the film Jackass Two. Late last year, Zupan, who has been a C-6-7 quad since an accident in college, published a memoir provocatively titled Gimp (Harper Collins), which tells of his discovery that there is life (and sport and sex, etc.) after spinal cord injury.

This month, Zupan will be appearing in a new public service announcement (PSA) for United Spinal Association, in which he puts a face on the person who needs that accessible parking space nondisabled people are so tempted to use “just for a minute.” The announcement skillfully blends courtside shots of Zupan in his quad rugby wheelchair and footage of him behind the wheel of a custom Ford Mustang provided by professional racecar driver and United Spinal Association member Carol Hollfelder of Tiger Racing. Set against a backdrop of a powerful soundtrack, the PSA dramatically contrasts Zupan’s game strategy with his efforts to move a thoughtless driver out of an accessible parking spot. With rapid visual cross-cuts and Zupan’s sharp narration, viewers are left with the clear message that parking in an accessible spot, even for a minute, is “60 seconds too long.”

The spot, directed by the renowned United Kingdom-based filmmaker, Doug Hurcombe of Astroman and produced by Ben Timlett of Ben & Bill Productions, will be offered to television stations, the internet, and sports arenas nationwide. You can view the PSA online by visiting www.unitedspinal.org.

Zupan took a few moments from filming to chat with Action.

Q. How has your life changed since the making of the movie Murderball?

A. I’m busy. I am never home. It’s been kind of wild, and the last two years have been kind of a blur, but a good blur. I have been fortunate enough to write a book and travel a lot. I do public speaking now and the type of stuff that you could never even have imagined. I like to think that I am doing a fairly decent job about getting the word out there about what a disability is, and I would like to think that people think I am doing a good job.

Q. What is the message you try to give to your audience when you are public speaking?

A. I don’t preach. Who am I to preach? I guess my message is “Be smart with what you do. Have fun. Life is not over when you break your neck, it’s chapter two.”

Q. Why is the message this Public Service Announcement is trying to send so important?

A. There’s always going to be accessibility issues. There are old cities that, as great as they are, will present boundaries. But that’s not going to stop me from going there and enjoying them. That’s why the message we are trying to send out to everyone who will be watching this Public Service Announcement is so important. It is enough that people with disabilities already have to face barriers with accessibility. We shouldn’t have to also deal with people’s attitudinal barriers either. If a space is reserved for a person with a disability, be grateful you don’t have one and don’t park there-plain and simple.

Q. How do you feel being a part of this PSA?

A. It’s done smartly, it’s a smart campaign. It’s not something you are just going to sit there and get bored watching. It’s a fun ad, at least I think it is. If it changes one person’s mindset, then I think we have done our job.

Q. What does accessibility mean to you?

A. It means life. If you can’t get into a bathroom, if you can’t get into a building, a restaurant, or a place of business, I like to think I can go and do anything. Accessibility is just common sense, and it’s a shame that some people just don’t understand that.

Q. Tell me about your book, Gimp.

A. Life’s not easy. The book just tells my life as it is but without pity, because sad things happen everyday to all of us. It’s a testament to friends and family and support. It’s an easy read, it captures my voice after the second line, and it’s not sappy. I am an educated person, and my family trusts my instincts. Who would have thought two years ago that I would have written a book and be here in LA starring in a PSA helping to educate the world about disability issues?

United Spinal Association expresses its gratitude and appreciation to Hedda Moye of L&H Media for her instrumental contribution to the making of this PSA.

Jennifer Rodriguez-Khadir is media relations specialist.