Should Disabled Characters Only Be Played By Disabled Actors?

In an article that I read recently, an advocacy group is up in arms because when Helen Keller's story "The Miracle Worker" returns to Broadway this winter, the lead role will not be played by an actress who is either deaf or blind. Instead the role of Helen will be played by Abigail Breslin who is best known for her role in Little Miss Sunshine. The question is, should the disabled community be offended, or should we praise non-disabled actors learning what it means to be disabled?

I honestly think this is a difficult call. On the one hand the whole point of acting is to take on a personality of someone that isn't you, hence the point of having straight actors play characters who are gay and vice versa. But there seems to be a catch 22 when it comes to actors who have disabilities. Blind actors are only allowed to play blind characters, which begs the question are they really acting? Obviously they're not playing themselves, the character likely has personality differences, but why should they be restricted to roles where the audience knows they're blind? This restriction says to me that directors can't conceive a blind character playing someone who is sighted and so they don't allow it, but really they are only restricting the number of roles that blind actors can audition for. So in that case maybe we should be upset that Helen Keller isn't being played by a young actress who is deaf and/or blind.

The other side of this argument of course is by casting non-disabled actors to play disabled characters, directors are opening actors' eyes to what it means to have a disability. In this particular case, I think the advocacy group's time would be better spent making sure that Abigail gets real life experience of what it it is like to be deaf and blind before she goes on stage, instead of protesting her playing the role. They could introduce her to deaf and blind actors, invite her to visit a school for the deaf and blind, and encourage her to spend time outside of rehearsal experiencing life without her vision or hearing. I think too often roles of disabled characters aren't done well enough because the able bodied actors who play them don't get enough real experience or contact with people who experience those disabilities.

In conclusion, I think the advocacy group's energy isn't being used in a way that will best benefit the disabled community. Although I think that disabled actors should be given more opportunities, I also value able bodied actors playing roles of disabled characters as long as those actors are given the chance to understand what it means to have a disability.

What do you think? Should Helen Keller only be played by an actress that is deaf or blind, or should we spend our time making sure that when disabled characters are portrayed, that the actors are given the best education possible?