Resources & Links
This page is an introduction to the ideas that underpin my practice as an access coordinator, and my ethos as an artist and a human.
Sections on this page
Foundations of Access Coordination
People & Organisations
Downloadable Documents & Example Resources
Recommended Tools & Resources
My Watch, Listen & Read Recommendations
The Seven Foundations of Access Coordination*
*in my opinion
No.1 The Social Model of Disability
The Social Model is my favourite thing to tell people about because when I first learned of it, it transformed my whole way of thinking!
There are different ways of thinking about disability. The one that is the most well-known is probably The Medical Model of Disability, which suggests that a body or mind is broken and needs to be fixed or cured.
The Charity Model of Disability suggests that being disabled is a terrible tragedy, that disabled people should be pitied and that non-disabled people should be inspired by disabled people just existing.
Both of these models of thinking are unhelpful, othering and, to be honest, offensive.
The Social Model of Disability, by contrast, says that every body and mind is different and that it is society’s failure to account for difference that is the issue:
People are not disabled by their impairments or their conditions,
people are disabled by inaccessible surroundings and attitudes.
So, to apply the Social Model is to make reasonable adjustments for people. These can include putting in a ramp for a wheelchair user, printing on yellow paper for someone who is dyslexic, providing ear defenders for someone sensitive to loud noises or understanding that a learning disabled actor is capable of performing a challenging scene, brilliantly. Simple adjustments to our surroundings and attitudes like these mean everyone can participate equitably.
No. 2 True inclusion is intersectional
The Social Model can be applied to everyone and everything, because true inclusion is intersectional. We want our industry to be as diverse as possible because different lived experiences bring different skillsets, specialisms and perspectives. This ultimately makes a smarter workforce making smarter work.
Also, anyone can become disabled or neurodivergent at anytime. If you’re not Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent already- you will be one day! So why not make the world accessible and inclusive so everyone can participate equitably even when their mind, body or circumstances change?
When we ask for people’s reasonable adjustments we should also endeavour to remove barriers relating to caring responsibilities, addiction, peri-menopause, health conditions and injuries, religious beliefs, personal circumstances and wellbeing.
So to apply The Social Model to include everyone is to provide a safe place to pray for religious individuals, a job-share role for new parents, a cooler office temperature for those experiencing peri-menopause, name badges that include pronouns to show respect for all gender identities, notifying when there will be alcohol at a social event for people with alcohol use disorders or a half day off so someone can cheer on their sibling at their graduation!
No. 3 The 2010 Equality Act
The 2010 Equality Act protects people from discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
Nearly all of us will have at least one of the characteristics protected in the act.
Those protected characteristics are:
Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
That means that organisations have a legal duty to not discriminate against people, without justification.
It also enshrines in law reasonable adjustments.
No. 4 Jack Thorne’s MacTaggart Lecture
Spoken at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2021, this is history lesson is disability politics and culture.
Jack’s lecture addresses the underrepresentation of disabled people in front of and behind camera. It’s the blistering, provoking, call-to-arms that birthed the Access Coordinator movement.
No. 5 The TV Access Project’s 5 As
The TV Access Project (TAP) was formed in response to Underlying Health Condition campaign and Jack Thorne’s lecture, above.
TAP subsequently conceived the 5 As are a handy tool to ensure productions are always primed to work inclusively.
Anticipate - Expect to be working with and employing Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and autistic (DDNA) people
Ask - For everyone’s access requirements
Assess - How your environments and attitudes can shift to remove barriers
Adjust - Transform into an inclusive and accessible production
Advocate - For others, for yourself and for wider industry change
No. 6 Universal Design
Universal Design is the principle that design should be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. For example, dropped kerbs. Dropped kerbs can be used by everyone.
We can also adopt the idea of Adaptive Design- incorporating an individual’s specific requirements into design.
The cartoon below exhibits both these kinds of design, and the issue with equality over equity.
Three people stand in front of a solid, wooden fence. They are trying to watch the football game beyond. One person is tall, one is of average height and one is short.
In the first square, everyone has been given one box to stand on. This is equality; everyone has been given the same adjustment. The tallest people can see over the fence, but the shorter person cannot.
In the second square, the person of average height has one box, the shorter person has two boxes, while the tall person can see over the fence without a box. This is equity; everyone has been given a different adjustment in correlation to their requirement. This is an example of adaptive design and of reasonable adjustments.
In the third and final square, the wooden fence has been replaced by a see-through wire fence. Now no one needs a box to stand on because everyone can see the football game. This is Universal Design in action. No one needs an adjustment because their different requirements have been considered in the design.
No. 7 Inclusion Is An Art Not A Science
Quoting my fave Dan Edge, I couldn’t agree more. The whole reason I ended up in Disability Arts and inclusion advocacy is because it is the most badass, kind, gorgeous, irreverent, raucous, generous, inventive scene around. Working inclusively challenges us to innovate! There’s actually no right answer or one-size-fits all.
We therefore must collaborate, cross-pollenate, share, agitate and amplify. And make change irresistible!
People & Organisations
There are so many incredible people and organisations out there doing brilliant work. Here’s a few I’m often working with or recommending in my practice.
Brazen are a disabled-led, small indie company making drama, comedy, kids, animation, factual and radio. Their mission is to practice true, intersectional inclusion on all projects and at all stages. Made up of Annie Grace, me, Oliver Grieve and the indomitable Jules Hussy- mentor, friend and fellow disruptor. She taught me everything I know!
Actor, wrestler, access coordinator and all round badass. We’re often collaborating on access coordinator projects.
A BAFTA- award winning, disabled led organisation with a mission to drive up the role of DDNA people in the arts & media. They create links between organisations to strengthen access, raise awareness of issues around disability, influence decision makers and policy and are home to DANC. Led by total and utter babes, Cherylee Houston MBE, Monique Jarrett, Ged Mulherin, Katy Boulton, Melissa Johns, Lydia Mulherin and Steph Lacey.
Where you can set up a profile to attend networking events or get in touch to recruit disabled talent. They also offer training, script consultancy and a fantastic weekly newsletter packed with opportunities.
Deaf & Disabled People in TV (DDPTV) is a disabled-led organisation dedicated to elevating off-screen Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent talent within the TV industry. They engage with industry to unite them with DDNA off-screen talent. They campaign for adjustments to current working practices, provide advice and guidance through panels, events and training and host a private Facebook community page where DDNA industry professionals can post job opportunities, ask for and share advice. Co-directed by the stan-worthy Bryony Arnold, Caroline O’Neill and Charlie Pheby.
The Creative Diversity Network
CDN exists to enable the industry to increase diversity and inspire inclusion. They capture diversity and inclusion data; look to the Diamond Reports. Create the forums for collaboration to identify and celebrate the actions that improve diversity and inclusion within broadcasting and offer support to ensure measurable progress. Chief exec’d by the breathtakingly cool Deborah Williams, OBE.
The TV Access Project is an alliance of ten of the UK’s biggest broadcasters and streamers who have pledged to work together to create a substantive and permanent structural shift to ensure access provision for Disabled talent. Its vision is to see full inclusion by 2030 – a television industry where no Disabled talent is ever excluded because barriers have been removed and equity created.
This app aims to empower everyone on a production to create a safer, fairer place of work by asking the simple question, ‘How were you treated at work today?’ The anonymous app monitors and measures workplace culture, including concerns regarding health and safety, working conditions, unacceptable behaviours and safeguarding, and instances of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Solas Mind is an EAP providing companies and studios with their own wellbeing platform allowing individuals to book 1:1 support in three clicks and access our well-being hub of curated resources.
Downloadable Documents & Example Resources
Documents
Created by me with a creative commons licence. You can use them for free but please credit me!
Tip Sheet for a Personal Inclusive Practice
This incredible resource created by wonder-queen Harriet Wadsworth and Brazen Productions aims to demystify all the jargon we find in film and TV. It contains a glossary of explanations of job roles, terms and production paperwork in film & TV. Amazing for people new to screen and loads of us already here. Knowledge is power after all and this resource will empower you to understand all aspects of a production.
Example Resources
Templates to view an idea, made my me and others. You’ll need to create your own versions because these resources need to be bespoke to your production or place of work. Free to copy bur please credit the original designers.
Wellbeing, Access & Inclusion Form
We should be asking people for their access requirements as readily as we ask for their dietary ones.
This example form aims to prompt everyone to think about what adjustments could be useful to them. Remember, everyone can benefit from a reasonable adjustment.
I roll out a bespoke-to-production version of this form on every production I work on. You can use it to prompt thoughts about your own adjustments and about the kinds of adjustments useful to others.
Please be aware, this form is live- If you fill it out I will see your answers!
An example of Universal Design, Easy Read information is particularly use to learning disabled and autistic people, people for whom English is a second language, those new to TV & film and tired people!
I advise productions to send out Easy Read Callsheets alongside their regular callsheets. You can use this example as a guide to build your own.
Example Easy Read Unit Base Map
Use this example as a guide to build your own Easy Read maps.
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Characters & Synopsis
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Episode 1
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Episode 2
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Episode 3
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Episode 4
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Episode 5
Ralph & Katie Visual Story Episode 6
Jules Hussey and I created a series of Visual Stories for our audiences because we’re passionate about ensuring everyone has access to art, in whatever way is safe and clear for them.
People might use our Visual Stories to allow them to:
Know how and when to watch the show
Understand the characters and the storylines
Process the content before, during or after they’ve watched the show
So use these as a guide to create Visual Stories for your own works.
Recommended Tools & Resources
These are tools and resources, created by others, that I have found useful and insightful.
Designing for Accessibility Posters
This series of posters created by the Home Office are a brilliant set of tips for accessible design. You might spot a few ‘access clashes’- where an adjustment for one type of user is at odds with the requirements of another. That’s ok! Access is an art not a science.
A comprehensive list to check the accessibility of your environments.
Channel 4 Disability Code of Portrayal
A free font specially designed for Easy Read information.
The free app Sim Daltonism lets you visualise colours as they are perceived with various types of colour blindness. Currently available for iOS and Mac, use your or a pal’s device to filter a region of the screen to check everything in your design is distinguishable from the perspective of a person with colour blindness.
This free tool download allows you to analyse the colour contrast of your designs to check it meets accessibly standards.
Changing Places are accessible public toilets with additional equipment including hoists.
A disabled access review website helping you to check out the accessibility of venues, shops, experiences, hotels and more. Click here to order a free pack of accessible toilet emergency cord signs so you can make loos safer. Cords almost always never hang to the ground like they should so take action, guerrilla-syle, by attaching these to red cords near you.
ATW is the employment support programme run by the Department for Work and Pensions. It can provide grants to remove barriers disabled people face in undertaking paid employment, including for equipment, travel and support workers. It’s a great (if imperfect) resource but is also notoriously complicated.
This guide clarifies the process and provides specific advice for the arts and cultural sector.
There are three sections to the guide: one for self-employed workers, one for employees and one for employers. Each section has a video version, which includes BSL and optional captions, presented by my pals Jess Thom and Deepa Shastri. It is also available in different formats including Easy Read and audio-only.
A huge toolkit to help create inclusive screening experiences.
FWD-Doc’s A Toolkit for Inclusion & Accessibility
An amazingly detailed and creatively exciting toolkit for inclusion and accessibility in the screen industry.
The Fundamentals by Tanya Motie & Liz Carr
A set of commitments designed to be a resource for disabled creatives when negotiating contracts.
Inclusive Writers Room Guidelines
Production companies can use these guidelines to establish inclusivity from the start. Created by TripleC.
Adding ALT text to images on social media is a simple way to make your content more accessible and to grow your audience. Lots of disabled folks and allies will not share posts without it, as a matter of principal. Follow these instructions and this guide to learn how to add ALT to your posts.
My Watch, Listen & Read Recommendations
All my favourite videos, docs, films, reads, podcasts and more that I think you should go check out immediately!
It’s ever-growing so swing by again soon.
And send me your recommendations too!
Watch
Stella Young’s TedX talk on Inspiration Porn.
I don’t think I can ever tire of watching this with the he late, great Stella. Don’t know what Inspiration Porn is? Well, then you can’t miss this. (9.5mins)
Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, is an American documentary
The multi-award winning film about a groundbreaking, early 1970’s summer camp. It made me laugh, weep and vow to create a world as joyful as that camp. Do yourself a favour and spend 108 minutes in its company. (1h48)
Whose Voice Is It Anyway by Kate Caryer
The world is full of incredible disabled artists and Kate Caryer is definitely one to watch. Kate is a pink-haired punk who also happens to have cerebral palsy and use a communication aid. Here is Kate’s dark-humoured short that shatters stereotypes about disabled people and AAC users. (5mins)
Things people with Down Syndrome are tired of hearing
A fun and playful myth-busting sesh to help you never make a blunder again (when it comes to people with Down Syndrome, at least). (5mins)
Want to immerse yourself in Deaf culture? Then tune into SeeHear, a monthly magazine programme, which highlights the latest issues. (30mins)
Rose Ayling-Ellis’s Alternative MacTaggart Lecture
Illuminating and galvanising, Rose’s lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival is fab. (30mins)
Learning disabled dance company Corali collaborate with TATE in Dancing To Art. I think this is sumptuous and wish all galleries would let us all dance to art too. (6mins)
Heart n Soul is a creative arts company who work to discover, develop and share the talent of people with learning disabilities. They hail from my old ends in South London and are just bloody rad. Can’t Stop Drawing is an absolute banger of a tune and vid by Danielle. (3mins)
Highlighting the importance of being seen, my iconic friend Ella Glendining invites audiences on a personal journey as she sets out to find others with the same rare disability as herself. It’s a very, very wonderful doc and you’ll want Ella as your best mate after. (87mins)
Listen
BBC Sounds Access All, presented by Nikki Fox. Responding to current affairs in a weekly podcast, this show really helps me keep up to date in terms of disability culture and politics and mental health.
Liz Carr on Who Am I This Time? with David Morrissey
My fave Liz Carr reflects on her experiences in the industry. It's just such an interesting and illuminating episode! And do you really need an excuse to spend an hour with Liz?
With my pal Simon Minty and his pal Phil Friend. This podcast is a fab deep-dive into a wide range of disability-related topics. Tune in to brush up on your knowledge.
The Ralph & Katie Behind the Scenes podcast series
This one is close to my heart seeing as I worked on Ralph & Katie. It’s packed full of people I absolutely adore and who made the project a complete delight, including its co-host and 2022 BAFTA Breakthrough, Leon Harrop.
One from the archives is the original BBC Ouch! Presented by my pal Mat Fraser and his pal Liz Carr. Ouch! is an anarchic, irreverent and borderline offensive trip down memory lane. With the shift toward better inclusion in our industry and in society at large, it is important to acknowledge the activists that have got us here. Ouch! does not disappoint. It's bad taste and I love it. Scroll right back to 2007 (as Ouch! eventually became the podcast Access All)
Read
No links cause I know you’re gonna go order them from your local indie bookshop.
Queerly Autistic - Erin Ekins
The View From Down Here - Lucy Webster
Strong Female Character - Fern Brady
Living with Hearing Loss & Deafness - Samantha Baines
You are the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread - Samantha Renke
The Future is Disabled - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
What the Fuck is Normal? - Francesca Martinez
Year of the Tiger - Alice Wong
Welcome to Biscuit Land - Jessica Thom
Unwell Women - Elinor Cleghorn
Read This to Get Smarter - Blair Imani
Feminism is for Everybody - bell hooks
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good - adrienne maree brown