Why BE inclusive?

Why BE inclusive?

Despite the fact that people with disabilities are the largest minority group on the planet, they remain the most underrepresented in the entertainment industry. Whilst it’s estimated that 27% of Americans have some form of disability  - a recent study of 900 popular films, found that just 2.7% of speaking characters had disabilities.

Unfortunately, those with disabilities working behind the camera are also underrepresented. For example, in a recent report it was found that 93% of writers said their most recent ‘writers’ room’ had no writers with disabilities  and The Writers Guild of America listed no writers with disabilities among its least-represented demographics with just 0.7%.

Whilst there has been a shift of focus on diverse representation in the entertainment industry in recent years, it’s fair to say that this movement has mainly focused on gender, race, and sexuality, with the progress of disability inclusion proving to be much slower.

Despite the industry’s reluctancy to address disability representation, there are numerous positive outcomes related to creating roles for both actors and crew members with disabilities, outcomes that allow film producers to reap the rewards of inclusive film making processes. 

Creating authentic depictions

It’s fair to say that many film and TV productions endeavour to create authentic depictions of the human experience so that we can all relate to narratives through accurate and realistic reflections of life.

By utilising talent and crew with disabilities you can do exactly that. Bringing lived experiences of disabilities to a project allows for broader, more diverse perspectives which results in creating an environment that fosters new levels of creativity.

It also allows us to capture accurate depictions of disability, helping us to avoid stereotypes and those common pitfalls and errors we often see, making way for truly authentic representations.

Of course, it is very important that people with disabilities aren’t compartmentalised into the same old narratives and placed in roles based entirely around ‘being a person with a disability’. At Bascule Entertainment, it’s our goal to open up a limitless world of opportunities outside of those parameters.

New Markets

As well as benefiting creative processes, inclusivity can also generate economic rewards. The disability market has been reported to represent a market bigger than China, totalling over $13 trillion in annual disposable income, globally. Creating projects with an inclusive focus will inevitably introduce your project to this vast audience.

Authentic representation of people with disabilities and the development of accessible projects, will naturally increase your reach and appeal, by attracting others with shared experiences of a life with disability.

Removing stereotypes

Inclusive representation (both in front of and behind the camera), and authentic portrayals, help us to deconstruct the stereotypes of disability we have encountered in the media throughout the years.

By developing narratives that portray disability positively, we aim to eliminate those clumsy caricatures and cliched representations, allowing us to progress on a societal level, approaching disability from a more positive, progressive, and authentic perspective.

Paving the way for change

By supporting and celebrating diversity, and creating inclusive opportunities in entertainment, we make positive steps towards an improved cultural and societal awareness of disability. The authentic portrayal of people with disabilities in everyday acting roles- (as opposed to token depictions), naturally encourage equity, with a view to improving accessibility and inclusivity in the wider world.

New Talent

Whether it’s writing, directing, producing, set designing, floor management, make-up artistry- the roles behind the camera are vast. Encouraging inclusivity when recruiting a film crew and supporting those with disabilities by creating an accessible environment, will mean that you reap the rewards of a new, diverse team.

Not only will this positively impact morale, creativity levels, experience and expertise, it will also allow you to appeal to a whole new, untapped talent pool of individuals in the industry.

If you would like to find out more about Bascule Entertainment’s consultancy services to improve inclusivity on a project, or you’d simply like to reach out… Click Here.