Make a Difference - Ideas for including disabled people in ... - Ofcom

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Disabled people as presenters
“During my time as a television reporter and presenter my disability has
never been an issue. There has always been an assumption that I can do
pretty well anything and everything. Travelling by plane or train requires
a bit of pre-planning because I use a powered wheelchair - but apart from
that we always find a way of getting the job done.”
Presenter/BCIDN Disabled Associate
• Interview or audition at least one presenter with a disability as part of a new
presenter team
• Make sure one presenter in the new generation presenting team is disabled
• Create a programme vehicle for a specific disabled person
• Feature disabled presenters without reference to their disability
The Office, BBC
Disabled people as cast members
“It was a conscious decision to include a disabled character in the second
series of The Office. The Brent-Meister General’s world of fake PC was an
ideal environment in which to explore this territory.”
Ricky Gervais, actor and writer
“TV is a great way of getting people to think about disability. If people
see disabled people on Coronation Street, they get used to seeing them
and eventually they become part of the fabric of all programmes.”
Elspeth Morrison, disability equality trainer
• Look at series development criteria and include disability;
• Create a character with a disability in a soap, or allow an
existing character to acquire a disability, then play the story for realism;
• Encourage writers to include disability in a drama/soap – especially parts
for disabled actors;
• Cast disabled actors as leads, incidental characters or as extras, not just as a plot device;
• Include disability criteria in selecting writers for writing development schemes;
• Use the Spotlight directory of disabled talent to find disabled actors who
are Equity members (see page 23);
• Set up or lobby for a disabled performers’ database in your company;
• Actively look out for disabled actors and then try to develop a part for them;
• Encourage agents to represent disabled as well as non-disabled artists and extras;
• Tell agents that you are keen to include disabled talent in your programmes;
• Make sure your audition and rehearsal spaces and studios are accessible;
• Consider reasonable adjustments such as interpreters, or scripts in large print.