C4, Prime Video examine provision for disabled TV talent
November 11, 2022
Channel 4 and Prime Video have partnered to launch an examination of access and inclusion provision for disabled talent in the British TV industry.
The Industry Access survey will be conducted on behalf of The TV Access Project (TAP), which was launched at the Edinburgh TV Festival to drive improvements in access and inclusion for disabled talent working in TV.
The survey will be carried out by YouGov and will be sent to all broadcasters and streamers including Channel 4, Prime Video, BBC, Disney, ITV, Netflix, Paramount and Sky, and is open to every independent production company in the UK. The survey is for organisations to complete, not individuals.
The purpose of this survey is to provide an overview of how the TV industry is currently performing when it comes to access and inclusion for disabled talent behind the camera. The insights provided will be used to shape future support, training, tools, and resources to enable the industry to progress even further in this area. It is also hoped that completing the survey will prompt organisations to think about ways in which they can be as welcoming and inclusive to disabled talent as possible.
The questions will ask what support and facilities organisations have for disabled talent, covering everything from accessible toilets and parking spaces to recruitments processes and disability inclusion policies
Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer at Channel 4, said: “It’s vital that we ensure our industry is accessible to everyone. The TV Access Project is focused on achieving real, lasting change so the TV industry is genuinely inclusive. And we can only determine what needs to change by finding out how accessible we as broadcasters and programme makers are now. This survey will highlight the areas where work is needed to help us as an industry implement change and establish best practice. I urge broadcasters, streamers and indies to furnish the TV Access Project with the information it needs to make our industry truly accessible.”
Channel 4’s Consultant Disability Lead Ally Castle, who is co-ordinating the survey with Prime Video Europe’s DEI Head Miranda Wayland, emphasises the survey is essentially a fact-finding mission: “We are not here to criticise or highlight failings, the survey is an opportunity to ‘take the temperature’ of the industry. We hope that the very process of completing the survey will give companies and their leadership teams ideas for how to improve their provision. The survey will need to be completed in one sitting and answers will be final, so it is recommended that relevant information about physical access, communication methods, inclusive culture and talent management processes are collected from across organisations before beginning the responses.”
Chris Bird, MD Prime Video UK, added: “The UK production community has a strong history of fighting for inclusivity and being at the forefront of industry change; TAP will continue to drive this through examining, assessing and recommending how we as an industry can push further to ensure all those with disability have an equal opportunity to contribute, nurture, and grow within the UK TV space”.
The findings of the Industry Access Survey, which has a November 23rd deadline, will be published in due course.