Accessibility on Set
October is Disability Awareness Month.
The fight for disability inclusion in media, both in front of and behind the camera, is undervalued and overdue.
Access, equity, and inclusion should be year-round goals. According to a 2023 study done by USC’s Annenberg Institute, only 2.2% of speaking characters in major films were disabled. In contrast to the roughly 30% of adults in the United States who have a disability, the lack of representation is unconscionable, especially considering 95% of disabled characters are played by non-disabled actors.
While the statistics on disabled characters in front of the camera are disheartening, the information on disabled creatives behind the camera is lacking. Ultimately, disability is underrepresented in film. This leads to very real consequences, both for disabled people who are underrepresented or who struggle to find work in the industry, and to the industry itself. A lack of data translates to a lack of attention; it’s a self-perpetuating cycle.
That’s not to say there aren’t working disabled filmmakers out there: Check out these films directed by Film Fatales members that explore the experiences of people in the d/Deaf, disabled, chronically ill, and/or neurodiverse communities.
Here are a few things to keep in mind to make experiences on set more accessible for disabled filmmakers, talent, and other creatives.
1. Accessibility should be implemented from the beginning.
Have you ever been in charge of a repetitive task like stapling together 40 five-page packets… Only to realize, after you’ve stapled packet number 37, that there’s an extra blank page in every single packet you’ve put together so far? Going back and tearing those extra pages out takes about as much time as it took to staple the packets in the first place.
When accessibility is an afterthought, it’s like leaving the extra page in a packet. It takes more work to change the way something is set up after the fact. You don’t need to rearrange your set to make it easier for a wheelchair user to navigate if you anticipated their accessibility needs and simply made sure the walkways were wide enough in the first place.
For example, don’t finish the film and then consider how to add an audio description track; anticipate it. Developing it alongside the project can include a whole new audience demographic without you feeling like someone dropped a new task on your plate at the end of the road.
2. Talk to the disabled people on your team.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has a motto: “Nothing about us without us.” As you devise ways to make your set accessible, the people who will have the best ideas will be the disabled people on your team. People with lived experience will know what impacts them the most, how they navigate the world, and what their unique needs are. No two people have the exact same experience, even if they have the same diagnosis, so it is important to engage with the people with whom you are working rather than with your assumptions about their access needs.
Additionally, keep in mind that not all disabilities are visible. Consider reaching out to all of your team to see if they have needs that they may have been concerned about mentioning. In a culture that values productivity above all else, in an industry that prioritizes long hours and self-deprivation, people may be worried about the consequences of self advocacy.
3. Embrace the curb cut effect.
Curb cuts are places where the sidewalk slopes down into an intersection. They were initially implemented for accessibility after disability activists, specifically wheelchair users, fought for them. Once they were implemented, it turned out they made life easier for everybody. They made it easier for parents with strollers; runners and joggers; skateboarders and people carrying luggage; as well as the wheelchair users who made curb cuts happen.
Autistic actress Chloe Hayden, in an interview, discussed how once she received her on-set accommodations, it “waterfalled down” to the rest of the cast and crew. When access is prioritized for those who need it most, it helps everyone else in ways you might not expect.
Disability rights activists fought for curb cuts, and they ended up helping everyone. Accessibility is not something that takes away from anyone; it’s something that, when implemented, will benefit us all.
Additionally, check out the FWD-Doc Toolkit for resources on accessibility in filmmaking. You can also explore the Disability Media Alliance page. If you’re looking for disabled creatives for your next project, come explore our Directors roster.
Sources:
Disability Media Alliance
FWD-Doc Toolkit
The Curb-Cut Effect
USC Annenberg Institute