RespectAbility’s Entertainment Lab for disabled professionals is making a big change for its sixth year.
Whereas the program had run for six weeks every summer even when it pivoted from in-person to virtual with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it is now expanding to five months. The change will allow the lab fellows more time in between sessions to process what they are learning, implement them in practice and work on their own projects before the next monthly lab workshop. As RespectAbility senior vp, entertainment and news media Lauren Appelbaum explains, the cadence of the lab’s part-time structure helps make it more accessible to people with certain types of disabilities, such as traumatic brain injuries.
“We first created this lab as a solution to the response that we would often receive from studios, producers and independent filmmakers who wanted to hire disabled writers, directors and others...
Whereas the program had run for six weeks every summer even when it pivoted from in-person to virtual with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it is now expanding to five months. The change will allow the lab fellows more time in between sessions to process what they are learning, implement them in practice and work on their own projects before the next monthly lab workshop. As RespectAbility senior vp, entertainment and news media Lauren Appelbaum explains, the cadence of the lab’s part-time structure helps make it more accessible to people with certain types of disabilities, such as traumatic brain injuries.
“We first created this lab as a solution to the response that we would often receive from studios, producers and independent filmmakers who wanted to hire disabled writers, directors and others...
- 5/3/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When discussing the industry-wide changes needed for television to more authentically capture the lived experiences of disabled people, actor Eileen Grubba passionately implored the industry to end what she described as the tokenization of the community.
“The industry has got to stop saying, ‘Ok, let me go find some kid that’s cute that’s in a wheelchair and give them a series.’ That is soul-crushing to the people who’ve been fighting for decades to make a living,” said the “New Amsterdam” actor, who has faced disabilities since the age of 5.
Grubba shared her sentiments on a warm and sunny Thursday morning as industry trailblazers gathered at the Saban Media Center at the Television Academy Foundation in North Hollywood to discuss ways to ensure authentic disability inclusion in television in a “The Power of TV” panel hosted by the Academy Foundation.
Karen Horne, an event diversity, equity and inclusion expert,...
“The industry has got to stop saying, ‘Ok, let me go find some kid that’s cute that’s in a wheelchair and give them a series.’ That is soul-crushing to the people who’ve been fighting for decades to make a living,” said the “New Amsterdam” actor, who has faced disabilities since the age of 5.
Grubba shared her sentiments on a warm and sunny Thursday morning as industry trailblazers gathered at the Saban Media Center at the Television Academy Foundation in North Hollywood to discuss ways to ensure authentic disability inclusion in television in a “The Power of TV” panel hosted by the Academy Foundation.
Karen Horne, an event diversity, equity and inclusion expert,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
Was it because of the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., or simply a sign of the times, that the 2023 Emmys was its most diverse ever?
As the awards show celebrated its 75th anniversary, five of the 12 acting Emmys handed out on Monday night — pushed four months to MLK Day as a result of the 2023 strikes — went to performers of color, tying the record set at the 1991 ceremony, when Lynn Whitfield, Madge Sinclair and Ruby Dee took home statuettes (and James Earl Jones took home two).
The show made history with its first two awards of the night, with wins for The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri and Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson marking the first time that the supporting and lead comedy actress Emmys both went to Black women in the same year. (The feat was previously accomplished in the drama races with Viola Davis and Uzo Aduba in 2015.) Brunson...
As the awards show celebrated its 75th anniversary, five of the 12 acting Emmys handed out on Monday night — pushed four months to MLK Day as a result of the 2023 strikes — went to performers of color, tying the record set at the 1991 ceremony, when Lynn Whitfield, Madge Sinclair and Ruby Dee took home statuettes (and James Earl Jones took home two).
The show made history with its first two awards of the night, with wins for The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri and Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson marking the first time that the supporting and lead comedy actress Emmys both went to Black women in the same year. (The feat was previously accomplished in the drama races with Viola Davis and Uzo Aduba in 2015.) Brunson...
- 1/16/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Andrea Fay Friedman, an actor with Down Syndrome who appeared in drama television series “Life Goes On” and Joseph Travolta’s family drama “Carol of the Bells,” died Sunday in Santa Monica from complications due to Alzheimer’s. She was 53.
Friedman contributed to much-needed representation for individuals with Down Syndrome in the world of entertainment. One of her well-known roles was in “Life Goes On” as Amanda Swanson, the girlfriend of Charles “Corky” Thacher (Chris Burke), who later become Corky’s wife on the show. Throughout her life, the actor also appeared in several television series, including “Baywatch,” “Chicago Hope,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “ER,” “The Division” and “Saving Grace,” establishing her presence in an industry where inclusion was often rare. She was also the subject of the 2009 documentary “A Possible Dream: The Andrea Friedman Story.”
In 2010, Friedman showed her ability to tackle controversy with grace after voicing a character with Down syndrome,...
Friedman contributed to much-needed representation for individuals with Down Syndrome in the world of entertainment. One of her well-known roles was in “Life Goes On” as Amanda Swanson, the girlfriend of Charles “Corky” Thacher (Chris Burke), who later become Corky’s wife on the show. Throughout her life, the actor also appeared in several television series, including “Baywatch,” “Chicago Hope,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “ER,” “The Division” and “Saving Grace,” establishing her presence in an industry where inclusion was often rare. She was also the subject of the 2009 documentary “A Possible Dream: The Andrea Friedman Story.”
In 2010, Friedman showed her ability to tackle controversy with grace after voicing a character with Down syndrome,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
RespectAbility, the non-profit that seeks to combat stigmas for people with disabilities through advocacy, has announced the participants for the 5th edition of its Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities.
The individuals who are participating in this year’s Los Angeles cohort include Iqsa Aqilah, Catherine Argyrople, Robert Burns, Michael Busza, Matthew Charles, Rick Cisario, Stephan Collins-Stepney, Jules Dameron, Katey Darling, Lorena Gordon, Annie Hayes, Jayla Hodge, Christopher James, Chrissy Marshall, Radha Mehta, Danielle Monique, Toby Parker Rees, Amelia Swedeen, Maggie Whittum and Nicole Zimmerer.
The 2023 cohort includes people ranging in age from the 20s through the 50s, with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, other disabilities, and multiple disabilities.
This year’s lab has been adapted to be in support of the WGA strike, including bringing in more writers and independent industry speakers to talk about the current climate.
“Since 2019, we have been building a community of disabled entertainment professionals...
The individuals who are participating in this year’s Los Angeles cohort include Iqsa Aqilah, Catherine Argyrople, Robert Burns, Michael Busza, Matthew Charles, Rick Cisario, Stephan Collins-Stepney, Jules Dameron, Katey Darling, Lorena Gordon, Annie Hayes, Jayla Hodge, Christopher James, Chrissy Marshall, Radha Mehta, Danielle Monique, Toby Parker Rees, Amelia Swedeen, Maggie Whittum and Nicole Zimmerer.
The 2023 cohort includes people ranging in age from the 20s through the 50s, with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, other disabilities, and multiple disabilities.
This year’s lab has been adapted to be in support of the WGA strike, including bringing in more writers and independent industry speakers to talk about the current climate.
“Since 2019, we have been building a community of disabled entertainment professionals...
- 6/8/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney Branded Television’s animated series Firebuds from Emmy-winning creator and executive producer Craig Gerber (Disney’s Elena of Avalor and Sofia the First) follows a team of young first responders and their talking vehicle sidekicks.
Two upcoming episodes, titled “Cleft Hood” and “All That Jazzy,” will spotlight disability representation addressing volunteerism, community service, teamwork, wheelchair use, and cleft palate disorder. Each episode includes characters voiced by Lou Diamond Phillips, Melissa Rauch, Yvette Nicole Brown, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Tatiana Lee and Ali Stroker.
First up, “Cleft Hood” introduces a new vehicle character named Castor, who was born with a cleft hood. It was written by Jeremy Shipp, part of the Emmy-winning writing team behind Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, and inspired by his own son, Henry, who was born with a cleft lip and palate.
“All That Jazzy” focuses on Spencer’s character Jazzy, who wants to be the star of a dance performance.
Two upcoming episodes, titled “Cleft Hood” and “All That Jazzy,” will spotlight disability representation addressing volunteerism, community service, teamwork, wheelchair use, and cleft palate disorder. Each episode includes characters voiced by Lou Diamond Phillips, Melissa Rauch, Yvette Nicole Brown, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Tatiana Lee and Ali Stroker.
First up, “Cleft Hood” introduces a new vehicle character named Castor, who was born with a cleft hood. It was written by Jeremy Shipp, part of the Emmy-winning writing team behind Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, and inspired by his own son, Henry, who was born with a cleft lip and palate.
“All That Jazzy” focuses on Spencer’s character Jazzy, who wants to be the star of a dance performance.
- 3/8/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been nearly a year since Sian Heder’s “Coda,” the feel-good coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who is the one hearing member of a predominately Deaf family, delighted audiences and secured Oscars for Best Picture, Supporting Actor, and Adapted Screenplay. But, in the months since its big wins, has on-screen Deaf and disabled representation actually gotten any better?
In November 2022, more than six months after “Coda” won big at the Oscars, the National Research Group released a new study that examined Deaf representation on-screen. Per a Variety article that shared the study’s results, 56 percent of Deaf consumers shared that, even in the aftermath of “Coda” breaking through, they still “rarely” or “never” see their identities represented in film and television.
And when those identities are portrayed on-screen, the results were not satisfying.
Variety reported that “63 percent of Deaf consumers say movies and shows that feature Deaf...
In November 2022, more than six months after “Coda” won big at the Oscars, the National Research Group released a new study that examined Deaf representation on-screen. Per a Variety article that shared the study’s results, 56 percent of Deaf consumers shared that, even in the aftermath of “Coda” breaking through, they still “rarely” or “never” see their identities represented in film and television.
And when those identities are portrayed on-screen, the results were not satisfying.
Variety reported that “63 percent of Deaf consumers say movies and shows that feature Deaf...
- 1/18/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Nielsen’s TV content analysis company Gracenote will begin tracking on-screen disability representation as part of its inclusion data, which currently covers talent gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
“As of September 2022, there were 923,229 total television program titles available to audiences, up 43 since the third quarter of 2019,” per Gracenote. “And while the volume of disability-inclusive content has increased over time, progress is slow, especially when compared to the increase in available programming generally. According to Nielsen Gracenote Inclusion Analytics, disability inclusion in video content peaked in 2019, when 518 productions were released featuring people with disabilities. But this number is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to total content production. As of December this year 7,556 video titles included disability thematic attributes, but that represents just 4.1 of the 183,089 total titles with descriptor metadata released during the same period.
While the CDC reports that 26 of Americans have a visible or non-apparent disability,...
“As of September 2022, there were 923,229 total television program titles available to audiences, up 43 since the third quarter of 2019,” per Gracenote. “And while the volume of disability-inclusive content has increased over time, progress is slow, especially when compared to the increase in available programming generally. According to Nielsen Gracenote Inclusion Analytics, disability inclusion in video content peaked in 2019, when 518 productions were released featuring people with disabilities. But this number is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to total content production. As of December this year 7,556 video titles included disability thematic attributes, but that represents just 4.1 of the 183,089 total titles with descriptor metadata released during the same period.
While the CDC reports that 26 of Americans have a visible or non-apparent disability,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Fifteen creatives have been named as fellows for RespectAbility’s first-ever Children’s Content Lab for Disabled TV Creators, a five-week training and mentorship program that aims to increase the presence of talent with disabilities in preschool and children’s TV.
Adam Hurd, Asha Chai-Chang, Charlie Frazier, Deirdre Morales, Kimberly Manky, Mars Gorman, Matt Opatrny, Miranda Hoyt, Myles Hunt, Ty Freedman and Tyler Hoog comprise the cohort’s 11 writing fellows, while Cassie Palmisano, Maddy Mermelstein, Nina Fiore and Shannon Ryan selected as the inaugural four development fellows.
With support from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity and production partners 9 Story Media Group and Silvergate Media, which is part of Sony Pictures Television, those Children’s Content Lab fellows will experience both virtual and in-person programming based in New York City that gives them access to workshops, trainings, panel conversations and networking events.
“RespectAbility...
Fifteen creatives have been named as fellows for RespectAbility’s first-ever Children’s Content Lab for Disabled TV Creators, a five-week training and mentorship program that aims to increase the presence of talent with disabilities in preschool and children’s TV.
Adam Hurd, Asha Chai-Chang, Charlie Frazier, Deirdre Morales, Kimberly Manky, Mars Gorman, Matt Opatrny, Miranda Hoyt, Myles Hunt, Ty Freedman and Tyler Hoog comprise the cohort’s 11 writing fellows, while Cassie Palmisano, Maddy Mermelstein, Nina Fiore and Shannon Ryan selected as the inaugural four development fellows.
With support from Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity and production partners 9 Story Media Group and Silvergate Media, which is part of Sony Pictures Television, those Children’s Content Lab fellows will experience both virtual and in-person programming based in New York City that gives them access to workshops, trainings, panel conversations and networking events.
“RespectAbility...
- 10/26/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
RespectAbility has teamed up with Netflix to create a new Children’s Lab for disabled TV creators, which will provide education and training for disabled writers, animators, and creative executives looking to focus on preschool and children’s content.
The training program, funded by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, will include a five-week course featuring programming by New York-based production partners 9 Story Media Group and Silvergate Media. As part of the lab, participants will each be assigned a mentor as they join in-person and virtual workshops, trainings, panel conversations, networking events, and a talent showcase with table reads of each writer’s project performed by disabled actors. The Children’s Content Lab will also provide a week of career development training with industry experts.
“We founded the RespectAbility Entertainment Lab in 2019 to show the industry that there are disabled writers, directors, and crew available if you take the time to look for us,...
The training program, funded by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, will include a five-week course featuring programming by New York-based production partners 9 Story Media Group and Silvergate Media. As part of the lab, participants will each be assigned a mentor as they join in-person and virtual workshops, trainings, panel conversations, networking events, and a talent showcase with table reads of each writer’s project performed by disabled actors. The Children’s Content Lab will also provide a week of career development training with industry experts.
“We founded the RespectAbility Entertainment Lab in 2019 to show the industry that there are disabled writers, directors, and crew available if you take the time to look for us,...
- 8/24/2022
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
RespectAbility, the non-profit that seeks to combat stigmas for people with disabilities through advocacy, has announced the participants for the virtual edition of its Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities.
RespectAbility hosted virtual labs during the Covid-19 pandemic and has continued the effort, along with an in-person lab, as a digital format may be better suited for some fellows.
“As the entertainment industry returns much of its programming to in-person, it is important to remember how being virtual can be inclusive of so many more individuals,” said lab co-founder and director Lauren Appelbaum, svp of communications and entertainment & news media at RespectAbility. “That is why it is so important that so many of our studio sponsors are excited to support the disabled creatives taking part in both our in-person and virtual cohorts, ensuring equal access for folks who cannot return to an in-person...
RespectAbility, the non-profit that seeks to combat stigmas for people with disabilities through advocacy, has announced the participants for the virtual edition of its Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities.
RespectAbility hosted virtual labs during the Covid-19 pandemic and has continued the effort, along with an in-person lab, as a digital format may be better suited for some fellows.
“As the entertainment industry returns much of its programming to in-person, it is important to remember how being virtual can be inclusive of so many more individuals,” said lab co-founder and director Lauren Appelbaum, svp of communications and entertainment & news media at RespectAbility. “That is why it is so important that so many of our studio sponsors are excited to support the disabled creatives taking part in both our in-person and virtual cohorts, ensuring equal access for folks who cannot return to an in-person...
- 8/15/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
RespectAbility, a nonprofit focused on fighting stigmas of people with disabilities in media and advocating for more authentic representation, is opening applications for the fourth annual Entertainment Lab for disabled entertainment professionals. Applications will be accepted through Friday, March 11.
The Entertainment Lab aims to help develop and elevate the talent pipeline of diverse professionals with disabilities working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming. At the same time, we are introducing them to studio executives and other decision makers who will advise Lab Fellows on various aspects of the industry and their craft.
“This is a unique program that merges our work in the entertainment industry with RespectAbility’s founding mission to create more opportunities for people with disabilities who desire to be employed,” said Lab Founder and Director Lauren Appelbaum, RespectAbility’s Vice President, Communications and Entertainment & News Media.
“RespectAbility honestly was probably the first to take a look and say that you’re worthy,...
The Entertainment Lab aims to help develop and elevate the talent pipeline of diverse professionals with disabilities working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming. At the same time, we are introducing them to studio executives and other decision makers who will advise Lab Fellows on various aspects of the industry and their craft.
“This is a unique program that merges our work in the entertainment industry with RespectAbility’s founding mission to create more opportunities for people with disabilities who desire to be employed,” said Lab Founder and Director Lauren Appelbaum, RespectAbility’s Vice President, Communications and Entertainment & News Media.
“RespectAbility honestly was probably the first to take a look and say that you’re worthy,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
In the past few years, Hollywood has been confronted by the MeToo movement, OscarsSoWhite, Black Lives Matter and, presently, members of the trans community calling out what they see as transphobic depictions of themselves in films, on television and in the media.
But there is another group traditionally under-represented in movies and TV whose population intersects at points with all those others: disabled people.
A new survey conducted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at the UCLA Psychology Department sought to examine the needs and opinions of disabled individuals in terms of media representation. The center said it “worked with the advocacy nonprofit organization RespectAbility after data analysis to ensure greater impact for this study.”
Survey data was collected on a nationally reflective sample of over 1,000 U.S. adults between the ages of 18-54. Of that sample, a subset of 268 people reported having a disability. They were asked three questions:...
But there is another group traditionally under-represented in movies and TV whose population intersects at points with all those others: disabled people.
A new survey conducted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at the UCLA Psychology Department sought to examine the needs and opinions of disabled individuals in terms of media representation. The center said it “worked with the advocacy nonprofit organization RespectAbility after data analysis to ensure greater impact for this study.”
Survey data was collected on a nationally reflective sample of over 1,000 U.S. adults between the ages of 18-54. Of that sample, a subset of 268 people reported having a disability. They were asked three questions:...
- 10/21/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Television still falls far behind film in depicting characters with disabilities, according to a new study released on Wednesday by Nielsen and the nonprofit org RespectAbility. As an encouraging sign, the report found that content featuring depictions of disability rose more than 175% over the past decade — but that the majority of those roles were played by performers without those disabilities.
Timed to the 31st anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Nielsen and RespectAbility have partnered on a three-part series of reports, “Visibility of Disability.” The initial study, out today, evaluated 3,000 titles and found that around 65% of depictions of disability came via films. Just 16% came from regular series, with the balance seen in TV movies, limited series or specials.
A survey attached to the study also found that audiences with disabilities more often found problems with those portrayals. Specifically, the survey found that people with a disability are 8% more likely...
Timed to the 31st anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Nielsen and RespectAbility have partnered on a three-part series of reports, “Visibility of Disability.” The initial study, out today, evaluated 3,000 titles and found that around 65% of depictions of disability came via films. Just 16% came from regular series, with the balance seen in TV movies, limited series or specials.
A survey attached to the study also found that audiences with disabilities more often found problems with those portrayals. Specifically, the survey found that people with a disability are 8% more likely...
- 7/28/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
ReelAbilities Film Festival Announces Special Guests and Live Events
The New York ReelAbilities Film Festival has announced a selection of exclusive events and speakers to accompany its 13th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival programming.
Highlights include the pilot reading of “Disgraced” with Julie Klausner (“Difficult People”), Shannon DeVido (“Best Summer Ever”) and Alex Scordelis (“Difficult People”)
The festival’s closing night will also feature the subject of the film “Not Going Quietly,” activist Ady Barkan, along with the filmmakers. Highlighted panels at the festival include: Black Future Month: Legacy, Present & Afro-Futurism on the realities that keep us from the American “dream.” The panel will include Black-disabled filmmakers: Keith Jones, Jd Michaels, Tameka Citchen-Spruce, Safiya Eshe Gyasi, Diana Elizabeth Jordan and Trelanda R. Lowe.
The 13th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival runs from April 29 through May 5. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at reelabilities.org/newyork/.
Cleopatra Entertainment Acquires Distribution...
The New York ReelAbilities Film Festival has announced a selection of exclusive events and speakers to accompany its 13th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival programming.
Highlights include the pilot reading of “Disgraced” with Julie Klausner (“Difficult People”), Shannon DeVido (“Best Summer Ever”) and Alex Scordelis (“Difficult People”)
The festival’s closing night will also feature the subject of the film “Not Going Quietly,” activist Ady Barkan, along with the filmmakers. Highlighted panels at the festival include: Black Future Month: Legacy, Present & Afro-Futurism on the realities that keep us from the American “dream.” The panel will include Black-disabled filmmakers: Keith Jones, Jd Michaels, Tameka Citchen-Spruce, Safiya Eshe Gyasi, Diana Elizabeth Jordan and Trelanda R. Lowe.
The 13th annual ReelAbilities Film Festival runs from April 29 through May 5. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at reelabilities.org/newyork/.
Cleopatra Entertainment Acquires Distribution...
- 4/21/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
RespectAbility will have a heavy presence at Sundance this year, with a lineup of virtual panels and discussions, all on digital Main Street.
The disability advocacy group is presenting five conversations under the umbrella title the Accessibility & Inclusion Lab; two of the events are in collaboration with Film Independent.
A goal is to encourage authentic representation of disabled people on screen, and to help change how audiences view people with disabilities. Another goal is to give filmmakers the tools to make films more accessible, both for disabled crew members and for audiences.
According to Nielsen, the disability market influences more than a trillion dollars in disposable income. However, with one-in-five people in the U.S. having a disability, there is a startling lack of representation – just 2.3% of characters in the 100 top-grossing films of 2019 and 8% in family films.
“What we see and hear on screen influences how we act in real life,...
The disability advocacy group is presenting five conversations under the umbrella title the Accessibility & Inclusion Lab; two of the events are in collaboration with Film Independent.
A goal is to encourage authentic representation of disabled people on screen, and to help change how audiences view people with disabilities. Another goal is to give filmmakers the tools to make films more accessible, both for disabled crew members and for audiences.
According to Nielsen, the disability market influences more than a trillion dollars in disposable income. However, with one-in-five people in the U.S. having a disability, there is a startling lack of representation – just 2.3% of characters in the 100 top-grossing films of 2019 and 8% in family films.
“What we see and hear on screen influences how we act in real life,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
RespectAbility— the nonprofit organization that seeks to combat stigmas for people with disabilities— has set a Sundance Film Festival conversation program with its Accessibility and Inclusion Lab.
The five conversations series, running Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, will focus on the intersection of filmmaking and disability-related subjects and will include Troy Kotsur, Cheryl Bedford, Ashley Eakin and Cj Jones as panelists, among others. Each of the events will include live captions, as well as Asl interpreters.
RespectAbility’s Lauren Appelbaum, who leads the nonprofit’s work in the entertainment industry, said, “We know that most filmmakers do not intentionally exclude people with disabilities ...
The five conversations series, running Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, will focus on the intersection of filmmaking and disability-related subjects and will include Troy Kotsur, Cheryl Bedford, Ashley Eakin and Cj Jones as panelists, among others. Each of the events will include live captions, as well as Asl interpreters.
RespectAbility’s Lauren Appelbaum, who leads the nonprofit’s work in the entertainment industry, said, “We know that most filmmakers do not intentionally exclude people with disabilities ...
- 1/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
RespectAbility— the nonprofit organization that seeks to combat stigmas for people with disabilities— has set a Sundance Film Festival conversation program with its Accessibility and Inclusion Lab.
The five conversations series, running Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, will focus on the intersection of filmmaking and disability-related subjects and will include Troy Kotsur, Cheryl Bedford, Ashley Eakin and Cj Jones as panelists, among others. Each of the events will include live captions, as well as Asl interpreters.
RespectAbility’s Lauren Appelbaum, who leads the nonprofit’s work in the entertainment industry, said, “We know that most filmmakers do not intentionally exclude people with disabilities ...
The five conversations series, running Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, will focus on the intersection of filmmaking and disability-related subjects and will include Troy Kotsur, Cheryl Bedford, Ashley Eakin and Cj Jones as panelists, among others. Each of the events will include live captions, as well as Asl interpreters.
RespectAbility’s Lauren Appelbaum, who leads the nonprofit’s work in the entertainment industry, said, “We know that most filmmakers do not intentionally exclude people with disabilities ...
- 1/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group is launching Culture Code, a diversity, equity and inclusion orientation for its staff, talent and production partners, in a bid to “construct a communal set of values, understanding and baseline cultural norms to create a more inclusive and welcoming creative community.”
A slew of social justice groups have partnered with the entertainment company on this initiative: The Museum of Tolerance, Color of Change, Anti-Defamation League, The Jed Foundation, Mpac, Rainn, RespectAbility, Storyline Partners and GLAAD.
“We live in an increasingly divisive world and yet as storytellers, we believe in the power of content to give the gift of empathy and understanding,” said Chris McCarthy, president of ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group, formerly known as the entertainment and youth group. “We’re developing our Culture Code to nurture our creative community and outline a communal set of values, respect and mutual understanding that centers around the celebration of...
A slew of social justice groups have partnered with the entertainment company on this initiative: The Museum of Tolerance, Color of Change, Anti-Defamation League, The Jed Foundation, Mpac, Rainn, RespectAbility, Storyline Partners and GLAAD.
“We live in an increasingly divisive world and yet as storytellers, we believe in the power of content to give the gift of empathy and understanding,” said Chris McCarthy, president of ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group, formerly known as the entertainment and youth group. “We’re developing our Culture Code to nurture our creative community and outline a communal set of values, respect and mutual understanding that centers around the celebration of...
- 11/19/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
RespectAbility Entertainment Lab 2020 wrapped July 16, after 15 sessions intended to create an industry pipeline of professionals with disabilities behind the camera.
The five-week program is sponsored by the nonprofit RespectAbility and is run by four women with disabilities: Lauren Appelbaum, Tatiana Lee, Nasreen Alkhateeb and Leah Romond.
The program targets individuals who are interested in such jobs as writing, directing, producing, editing, sound and animation work.
It featured 30 participants, all of whom have experience in the entertainment industry prior to the Lab; however, most found they were stuck in assistant-level positions. The Lab is structured with two tracks: One for emerging talent and mid-career.
Speakers included reps from Bunim/Murray Prods., Film Independent, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Studios, the Walt Disney Studios, ViacomCBS and others.
The program is important because people with disabilities are frequently overlooked in Hollywood’s discussions about inclusion; their presence behind the camera is even rarer.
Lab members...
The five-week program is sponsored by the nonprofit RespectAbility and is run by four women with disabilities: Lauren Appelbaum, Tatiana Lee, Nasreen Alkhateeb and Leah Romond.
The program targets individuals who are interested in such jobs as writing, directing, producing, editing, sound and animation work.
It featured 30 participants, all of whom have experience in the entertainment industry prior to the Lab; however, most found they were stuck in assistant-level positions. The Lab is structured with two tracks: One for emerging talent and mid-career.
Speakers included reps from Bunim/Murray Prods., Film Independent, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Studios, the Walt Disney Studios, ViacomCBS and others.
The program is important because people with disabilities are frequently overlooked in Hollywood’s discussions about inclusion; their presence behind the camera is even rarer.
Lab members...
- 7/17/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Reality TV producer Jonathan Murray pledged $1.1 million to the organization RespectAbility, a group that offers behind-the-camera training to people with disabilities. A portion of his donation will help fund the org’s summer lab program.
Murry and his partner Harvey Reese made the announcement at an event held in their home on Wednesday. RespectAbility president Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi praised the two men and their Murray-Reese Foundation as “the glue for our Hollywood operation.”
She also outlined RespectAbility’s three goals: To fight the stigma of disability by promoting authentic and accurate portrayals in the media; to influence public policy, especially in the areas of education, jobs civic engagement and access; and to promote authentic talent, while creating a pipeline for people with disabilities to get more opportunities.
Lauren Appelbaum, VP of communications for RespectAbility, said the upcoming summer lab will help people with disabilities gain access to studios, networks and production companies.
Murry and his partner Harvey Reese made the announcement at an event held in their home on Wednesday. RespectAbility president Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi praised the two men and their Murray-Reese Foundation as “the glue for our Hollywood operation.”
She also outlined RespectAbility’s three goals: To fight the stigma of disability by promoting authentic and accurate portrayals in the media; to influence public policy, especially in the areas of education, jobs civic engagement and access; and to promote authentic talent, while creating a pipeline for people with disabilities to get more opportunities.
Lauren Appelbaum, VP of communications for RespectAbility, said the upcoming summer lab will help people with disabilities gain access to studios, networks and production companies.
- 3/12/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
RespectAbility has officially opened submissions for their second annual Summer Lab Program which further moves the needle when it comes to authentic stories and genuine representation of diverse people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health and other disabilities in film, TV and media. Applications will be accepted starting today and will be considered on a rolling basis through April 3.
The innovative Lab series is for emerging entertainment talent and includes a track for mid-level career professionals. The 5-week, 10-session summer Lab is for people with disabilities interested in – and with experience in – development, production and post-production, including careers as writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, animators and other production roles. Up to 30 participants will be accepted into the Lab.
More from DeadlineNew Hollywood Podcast: 'Gentefied's Marvin Lemus And Linda Yvette Chávez Talk Latinx Representation And How Netflix Series Reflects Their Own LivesBilly Porter On Playing Genderless Fairy Godmother In New...
The innovative Lab series is for emerging entertainment talent and includes a track for mid-level career professionals. The 5-week, 10-session summer Lab is for people with disabilities interested in – and with experience in – development, production and post-production, including careers as writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, animators and other production roles. Up to 30 participants will be accepted into the Lab.
More from DeadlineNew Hollywood Podcast: 'Gentefied's Marvin Lemus And Linda Yvette Chávez Talk Latinx Representation And How Netflix Series Reflects Their Own LivesBilly Porter On Playing Genderless Fairy Godmother In New...
- 3/12/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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