Disabled workers face ‘consistent difficulties’ in the UK TV industry, says new report

More than 80 per cent of disabled industry workers said their disability had adversely affected their careers

A new study from Birmingham City University has shed a damning light on the “consistent difficulties” faced by disabled workers in the UK TV industry.

The university’s Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity found that over 80 per cent of disabled workers in the industry believed that their disability had adversely impacted their careers.

Seventy-seven per cent of respondents stated that their career options were limited by their disability.

The report, entitled Career Routes and Barriers for Disabled People in the UK TV Industry, was published today and can be downloaded in full here.

Among the problems faced by disabled industry professionals are colleagues’ attitudes towards disabled workers and an ignorance surrounding legal obligations on the part of employers.

For the report, 86 disabled UK TV workers, including Senior, Executive and Series Producers, were surveyed.

Among the recommendations listed in the report are the creation of an industry-wide system to aid in implementing adjustments when required by disabled people, and up-to-date training on equality law for everyone in managerial positions.

Other proposals include giving disabled workers access to mentorship, including from other disabled people working in the industry, and a widening of recruitment practices.

These recommendations would improve the retention rates of disabled workers and would lead to more disabled people in senior roles in the industry, claims the report.

Kate Ansell, a disabled journalist, writer and executive producer, who has produced current affairs and factual films for broadcasters including the BBC and Channel 4 for more than two decades, said: “In this research, disabled people themselves describe the experiences they’ve had working in the TV industry, including the barriers they’ve encountered and potential solutions to the problems.

“What’s striking is the consistency of the experiences described and the simplicity of some of the solutions. It’s crucial that the industry acts upon what it is being told."