Advancing Disability Representation in Entertainment

People with disabilities are a vibrant, diverse group with stories to tell—stories that can change hearts, minds, and attitudes toward and about disability. For over a decade, Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) has been actively collaborating with the disability community and key players from across the entertainment industry to amplify these stories, driving disability inclusion and authentic representation. 

Together, we’re making real, tangible progress, especially through our long-standing partnerships with the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and the Media Access Awards with Easterseals. These efforts shine a spotlight on the many creatives with disabilities building careers in entertainment, while also supporting the industry in moving toward a more inclusive culture. Earlier this year, ESSC also launched “Disability is Not a Dirty Word”—a bold campaign celebrating disability pride— which was also broadcast on the national stage during the Paralympics on NBC.

Currently, ESSC is working in conjunction with the disability community on an updated, powerful multimedia project highlighting the current state of disability inclusion in the entertainment industry with The Wrap and Variety, two respected industry publications, as well as our partners at Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS) and Film Independent.

This effort builds on a 2018 special report released in partnership with Variety, “Abilities Unlimited: How People with Disabilities are Helping Hollywood Win.” Featuring insights and expertise from the disability community, this initiative is addressing what’s working and what needs to evolve, both in front of and behind the camera.

Central to this is ensuring that people with disabilities are empowered to tell their own stories. That’s why our work is grounded in a common saying among people with disabilities: nothing about us without us. From the disabled advocates and industry experts that we continue to engage, ESSC has gathered concrete calls to action the industry must take to shift the narrative about disability, and to recognize the disabled talent that’s been here all along.

With guidance from our panel discussions and the resources we’re sharing here, we invite you to join us in our mission to change the way the world defines, perceives, and experiences disability. It’s time for a true disability representation revolution.

How can we advance disability representation across the media?

• 26% of the American population identifies as having a disability. It’s essential to reflect this across all forms of media.
• Disabled creatives – in front of and behind the camera – can bring both lived experience and valuable expertise to all parts of the entertainment industry.
• Disability access and inclusion should be woven into everything possible on set. Prioritize accessibility from the beginning, the same way as color correction or catering. Then, factor it into budget, production, and promotion plans.
• Disabled creatives bring invaluable lived experience and expertise to the entertainment industry. Prioritizing accessibility from the start ensures inclusion across budget, production, and promotion.

Writers 

1. Include at least one writer with a disability in your writers’ room.
2. Make it commonplace to have people with disabilities as characters in your scripts.
3. Remember: disability is one of many character traits, just like any other aspect of being human. 

Casting Directors 

1. For a role where the character has a disability, prioritize casting actors with disabilities.
2. Audition actors with disabilities for roles that do not explicitly reference disability as a character trait.
3. Include people with disabilities in crowd scenes and as background characters. 

Studios & Networks 

1. Hire an accessibility coordinator to ensure policies, practices, and procedures are inclusive across disability types, communities, identities, and needs.
2. Prioritize inclusive hiring practices across various roles, positions, and responsibilities, including contractors and consultants.
3. Make sure casting facilities and sets are on the ground floor or are fully accessible via a working elevator.
4. Host inclusive events by providing sign language interpreters and real time captioning, and by ensuring accessibility accommodations for sensory, mobility and other types of disabilities.
5. Feature people with disabilities authentically in marketing and press. 

Directors & Producers 

1. Recognize that disability is an untapped market that today’s audiences want and expect to see represented in authentic and compelling ways. Make sure a diverse cross-section of disability communities and identities are represented in projects.
2. When submitting content to festivals include captioning and audio description (e.g., enlist companies like 3Play Media to help).

Essential Resources & Disability Inclusion Partners

Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers—with and without disabilities—the opportunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms. The film challenge is a five-day filmmaking contest, open to all, that provides a platform for new voices in the entertainment industry. Each year, aspiring storytellers are prompted to creatively write, produce and complete a short film. Challenge winners receive invaluable access to entertainment professionals, opening the door to an industry notoriously difficult to enter. 

Making Space
Making Space is a talent acquisition and learning experience platform that creates new pathways to employment and career advancement for disabled populations. Their accessible, self-service and employer-supported learning is designed to enable seamless navigation between education and employment. They prioritize equipping talent with relevant and job-specific skills for perfect-fit opportunities, leading to swift placements, career growth and mobility. Built with disabled talent in mind, Making Space is on a mission to create a more equitable and accessible future of work. 

Inevitable Foundation
Inevitable Foundation is investing in disabled writers and filmmakers so they can achieve artistic and financial freedom and use film and television to destigmatize disability and mental health globally. 

IMDbPRO Discover
IMDbPro Discover is an advanced search tool that allows members to find people and projects based on a variety of key IMDb data, experience, and expertise. It also includes advanced features to customize, export, and share lists.

SAG-AFTRA's Performers with Disabilities
SAG-AFTRA’s Performers with Disabilities Committee’s mission is to achieve full access for and inclusion of performers and broadcasters with disabilities by working to increase employment opportunities and improve working conditions in all areas of entertainment and news media. 

WGA Disabled Writers Committee
The Disabled Writers Committee advances the visibility and employment of disabled writers while encouraging, celebrating, and endorsing accurate and diverse portrayals of disabled people in all areas of media. They also serve as an expert resource for various issues impacting and related to the disabled community. 

Casting Society, Directors Guild, and Producers Guild
Each of these organizations has a disability-focused committee to advance careers both in front of and behind the camera. Casting Society Directors Guild Producers Guild 

Hollywood Radio & Television Society 
Led by a Board of Directors comprising TV and entertainment’s most distinguished leaders, Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS) is the premier networking, education and mentorship association in the industry. HRTS provides an unparalleled forum for conversation and community through events, a mentorship program, and other initiatives for professionals at all career stages—from student to C-suite—in Los Angeles, NYC and around the world. 

Film Independent
Film Independent champions creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms, fostering a culture of inclusion. They support a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision.