Access into Action: The Industry Access Survey
Initiated by Amazon Prime Video and Channel 4, the Industry Access Survey was carried out by YouGov in November/December 2022 among broadcasters, streamers and production companies, asking about their access provision and approach for the inclusion of disabled talent, in order to give an overview of where the TV industry is following best practice and where there is room for improvement.
This report contains the key results from that survey, which was completed by 105 organisations, as well as an executive summary. It deliberately does not include structural, industry-wide recommendations as those are being enacted via the multiple work streams of the TV Access Project. However, it concludes with a three-step action plan that individual organisations can follow in response to the findings, to effect relatively speedy change.
The areas which the report highlights as needing urgent action include:
- Physical access – 4 offices used by companies in the TV industry, are physically inaccessible - that is to say, they are not entirely located on the ground floor, step-free, or with access via a lift. 25% have no functioning accessible toilet.
- Health & safety – there are serious health and safety risks associated with some of the poor accessibility within offices and physical environments in which Disabled employees are likely to be working – from lack of visual fire alarms, to the inconsistent use of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), or the absence of grab rails at stairs and hazard warning surfaces.
- Hiring of external venues – when it comes to external spaces and buildings, only just over a third of the sample (36%) always ask as standard about the access status of the locations, facilities, studios and external venues that they hire regardless of who is attending.
- Developing talent into senior roles – there is little indication that employers are going out of their way to particularly progress or nurture Disabled talent; no type of additional support or opportunity (eg mentoring, networking, training or coaching) is being offered more than 50% of the time to Disabled employees.
- Communications by broadcasters and streamers – production companies clearly want more support for disability inclusion, especially when it comes to sourcing talent and training and knowing about broadcasters’ and streamers’ position on support with funding for access needs and adjustment requirements. All this information is clearly not being communicated well or regularly enough.
You can read the full report below:
There is also a plain text version available here:
Industry Access Survey Report - Plain Text
Other alternative formats are available on request.
The press release about the report is also available here.
The report was launched during a webinar called Access into Action on 15th March 2023. Below is a recording of that event, if you were unable to tune in on the day.
Here is the transcript of the event: