A fifth of the UK population identifies as disabled according to the 2022 census. So, whether you are aware of it or not, you will be working with deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people every day.
Access is everyone’s responsibility, whatever your role. Anyone, at any stage of their career, can make a significant contribution to shifting the dial towards a more inclusive and accessible industry.
Join BAFTA as a partner of the TV Access Project
The TV Access Project (TAP) is advocating for full inclusion by 2030. You can help the industry achieve this vision, and support your disabled colleagues to do their best work in several ways. This includes:
- learning more about the social model of disability and making workplace adjustments where appropriate
- working with an access coordinator – these are skilled professionals who can manage access and adjustments for everyone working on your project and find accessible solutions
- adopting TAP’s 5 As in your work
What are TAP's 5 A's?
The 5 A’s were created by TAP and are guidelines for disability inclusion in UK television production. All major broadcasters have signed up to embed these into their work.
These guidelines are to ensure the full inclusion of deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent talent in the industry. You should expect to see a production following the 5 A’s if they are following best practice.
1. Anticipate
Fully expect to work, and continue to work, with disabled people on a regular basis. Keep ahead of the game to ensure structures, processes and environments are – and remain – inclusive. Engender confidence among disabled talent, by actively communicating and demonstrating how we are inclusive. In doing this, always seek expert advice and stay up to date with best practice.
2. Ask
Avoid assuming anything, of anybody. So, sensitively and as standard, regularly approach every team member – whether they have a condition or impairment that is immediately apparent or not – to invite them to discuss any adjustment needs or access requirements they have in order to fulfil their role. In doing so, focus on access and adjustments, not conditions or impairments and let disabled people own those conversations.
3. Assess
Value self-reflection. Be clear and transparent about how accessible you are, ensure disabled talent can easily find out about access provision and support without having to ask. Consistently sense-check that you have created a working culture where everyone feels open, confident and safe to communicate their access needs, bringing in specialist expertise when needed. Regularly evaluate and improve inclusion policies and practices.
4. Adjust
Deliver what is needed. Consistently and well ahead of time, put in place any reasonable adjustment to ensure the full inclusion as well as the physical and emotional wellbeing of disabled talent during involvement with you. This includes during recruitment and the onboarding process. Do so with the support of relevant experts and ensure you have sufficient funding in place.
5. Advocate
Set high standards for everyone. Celebrate what disabled talent bring and actively champion them. Do not tolerate any inappropriate behaviour, language or attitudes and think long-term to consistently support the progression of disabled talent into senior roles.
A note on terms
The social model of disability is a way of viewing the world. The model says that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having accessible toilets. Or they can be caused by people’s attitudes to difference, like the assumption that disabled people can’t do certain things.
The social model helps us recognise barriers that make life harder for disabled people. Removing these barriers creates equality and offers disabled people more independence, choice and control.
