Disability Belongs™ is working to help Hollywood ensure accurate and positive media portrayals of people with disabilities. We partner with leaders in the entertainment industry for the full inclusion of people with disabilities – both in front of and behind the camera. Now, we are inviting new partners to help move the needle on three core issues: 1) diversity, equity and equality inclusion and diversity in Hollywood; 2) more positive and accurate portrayals of people with disabilities; and 3) the employment of people with disabilities.
Through work with our partners, including disability experts and self-advocates, we support entertainment and media professionals: studio and network heads, directors, showrunners, producers, writers, casting directors, talent agents, actors and diversity/social responsibility leaders in their success. Our focus is on the importance of disability inclusion, accessibility and acceptance. This collaborative work is propelled forward through our educational tools, including fact sheets, consultations and script reviews. We also offer engaging events such as panel discussions, screenings, roundtables, briefings, individual meetings, and site visits.
Disability Belongs™ is entertainment’s partner to:
- Identify the diverse talent needed to reflect the fact that 56 million people in the United States and more than one-billion people worldwide live with disabilities.
- Create both entertaining content for and with people with disabilities and assist in improving the bottom line of networks by tapping into this trillion-dollar market.
- Access raw, real, compelling, diverse and inclusive stories that will make TV and film more relevant.
- Set the bar higher in the creation of welcoming entertainment that powerfully resonates with audiences.
- Become the go-to creative and marketing ally that can help established voices and a new generation of artists and filmmakers reach new heights.
- Acquire facts, resources and contacts needed to tell authentic disability stories in a way that will win audiences and advance dignity for all.
- Understand disability etiquette and ensure disability is not viewed through the “pity lens.”
- Update lexicons to ensure that scripts are culturally sensitive to the one-in-five people with disabilities and the people who love them.
- Deliver free and impactful assistance to support the making and marketing of diverse films and TV shows that advance the inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities.
For More Information:
Lauren Appelbaum, LaurenA@DisabilityBelongs.org, 202-591-0703
