New Report from Easterseals Disability Services: “Reimagining Hollywood: A New Lens on Disability Inclusion”
A new EasterSealsals Disability Services Multimedia report, Reimaging Hollywood: a new lens on the inclusion of disability, It provides an integral understanding of how the inclusion of disability is currently in entertainment and media. While there have been positive steps forward, the new data underlines the need for greater inclusion and authenticity in stories and screen representation.
“For more than a decade, we have collaborated with the disability community, especially those who work in entertainment, to rethink the way in which decision makers see disability,” he said Nancy WeintraubAdvance director, EASASTERALS SOUTINER CALIFORNIA (ESSC). “This report is a monitoring of our first in 2018. We wanted to understand how far we have arrived and how we need to improve. We must continue tearing preconceived notions about disability and evolving our workplaces even more.”
Reimaging Hollywood: a new lens on the inclusion of disability It provides a deep and honest understanding of the “lived” experiences of disabled creatives, describing unnecessary challenges and barriers that they face trying to be heard and considered for work, while pointing for bright points and some real progress such as a path to follow .
For example, Coda It is the first film with a predominantly deaf cast to win an academy award for the best film; Ali Stroker makes history as the first actor who uses a wheelchair to win a Tony prize for the best performance for his main role in Oklahoma; and the documentary CampAbout a summer camp for disabled teenagers, it is collected by Netflix and nominated for an Oscar.
The successes behind the camera are also laying the foundations for what should happen next to advance the inclusion of disability in entertainment. The most significant is the appearance and adoption of production accessibility coordinators in some sets. It is not surprising that the disabled talent is defending the production accessibility coordinators, but even more encouraging is the feedback of the industry leaders who have interacted with this role in the set. They also believe that accessibility coordinators are valuable and should become a consistent productions line item.
Additional key ideas include:
- Disabled creators talented with growth platforms are building audiences and taking control of their own narrative; Industry, studies and networks must take into account, recognize and value these achievements; And understands that an unleashed audience is being lost with a real purchase power potential.
- Entertainment and media have the opportunity to raise and celebrate the diversity of the disability community. When they do, they will not only win hearts and minds, but also a loyal audience, they will expand the audience and increase income.
- It is not just a genre or type of media (film, television, transmission, digital content, audio, news, social networks) belongs everywhere. Disabled people must have a vocal seat at the table, working at all levels, from attendees to executives and from background actors to main roles.
“I don’t just want to see a disabled token character in a movie or on television from time to time. That is not a true representation of disability, “he said Emily LadauAuthor and media consultant. “The disabled people belong everywhere in the media industry, by scenes, informing every aspect of a media project, which work at all levels of a company. I want to see disabled people in the background, such as support characters and in main roles. Inclusion in Hollywood should be a movement and not a moment. ”
This multimedia report is informed by associations with Variety, ThewrapHollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS) and Film Independent, to provide complete industry leadership perspectives and talent for disabled. It included two listening sessions with dozens of disabled creatives to gather concrete calls to the action that Hollywood should take to change the narration about disability. It also provides perspectives of a disabled audience nationwide. Since 2020, E overreseals has commissioned three surveys* of American adults with disabilities about their perspectives on the inclusion of disability and authentic representation in the media and entertainment, among other current issues.
Key findings include:
- Tibia representation: Only 40% of adults with disabilities reported having seen a person with a disability in any television or film program in the last three months and 38% reported having seen this representation in advertising. This marks the lowest levels recorded in the last four years of Eastels surveys.
- Stagnant representations: The majority (61%) of respondents feel that representations of people with disabilities in the media have stagnated or became less frequent during the last five years, aligning with Findings of the Inclusion Initiative of the USC Annenbergwhich pointed out a decrease in the characters with disabilities in the best films.
- Unleashed Disability Hearing: One in four Americans has a disability, which represents about 70 million people. 45% of adults with disabilities are more likely to watch movies or shows with genuine disability representations and 74% are more inclined to support brands that include people with disabilities in their advertising.
In the background, this report reinforces the urgent need for entertainment industries and means to rewrite the script: amplify the inclusion of disability is not only a moral imperative, but an intelligent commercial strategy with high reach benefits.
About E overreseals Southern CaliforniaIowa
E overreseals Southern California is leading the way to equity, inclusion and access through disability and community services that change life. For more than 100 years, we have worked tirelessly with our partners to improve the quality of life and expand local access to health, education and employment opportunities. E overreseals Southern California offers essential services and soil support to more than 19,000 people each year, from early childhood programs during the first five critical years, to autism services, daily and independent life services for adults, employment programs and employment programs, further. Our public education initiatives and defense positively give positively to perceptions and address the urgent and evolving needs of one in four Americans with disabilities today. Together, we are empowering people with disabilities, families and communities to be complete and equal participants in society.
Get more information in: https://www.eastertersals.com/southerncal
Additional reading (includes interview with disabled actors and allies): How creatives with disabilities are building racing and changing the entertainment industry
