Nic Novicki and Mark Whitley, the two American columnists, have shared their opinions about Disability community and the need to give them better visibility in Hollywood. They wrote in a column written by them, INN reports
They opined that diversity and inclusion are two important cultural topics gaining attention and focus by employers nationwide, including Hollywood. And yet, disability is almost always overlooked in this conversation. They pointed out that in the current award season, there were little or mention awards for Persons with disabilities in looking across the many films and television shows honored. They queried why there were so few that represent their country’s most diverse population — the disability community?
According to them one in five Americans has a disability, making it the largest minority population, some 57 million strong. They stated, however, that their stories, meaningful and varied, often go untold.
They further pointed out that People with disabilities are the most underrepresented population across entertainment and media, with too few opportunities afforded in front of or behind the camera. INN discovered that variety’s recent article on a USC study noted of the top 900 films between 2007 and 2016, just 2.7% of characters were portrayed as having a disability. What’s more, in most cases these characters are played by an actor without a disability, further limiting industry opportunities for the talented actors with a disability, INN learnt
According to Nic and Mark, People with disabilities “have virtually no influence in cinema and the enduring myths that are being created about them are by able-bodied filmmakers,” notes a recent op-ed article for the Guardian. “The industry is not giving a voice to a huge section of our society and that needs to change,” the piece concludes, making the point that diversity is good for business; it sells tickets. Just look at how female-directed and -starring films like “Wonder Woman” or largely diverse casts like “Get Out” are outperforming at the box office. Likewise, it’s time for genuine disability-forward projects to grace the big and small screens.
INN also learnt that many global brands agreed that there were anomalies. Fortune 500 companies, like Toyota, Gerber, Target and Guinness, have dedicated national advertising to reflect disability in constructive and relatable ways, while using this same airtime to promote their products. Comcast NBCUniversal and Google make significant R&D investments in “disability-friendly” products and marketing them, as such. From product innovations such as Nike FlyEase, to athlete sponsorships, and global marketing campaigns, Nike has a long history of serving athletes with disabilities, according to Nic and Mark.
“National media is beginning to provide more prominent space for disability viewpoints. For example, the New York Times established the first ongoing disability opinion series to give people with disabilities a national platform”, they said
In their own words, Nic and Mark said “Entertainment is one of the most effective ways to influence public perception and advance social change. The industry has the incomparable ability to help shape the way the world defines and views disability.
We are not asking for your altruism. Iconic brands now understand the potential buying power, waking up to this virtually untapped disability market. Recent estimates show people with disabilities represent a market of more than $200 billion annually. This demographic represents new buying potential for the entertainment industry to creatively leverage”
Suggesting a way out, Nic and Mark talked about been more inclusive in in hiring practices and casting as first step. The next time you cast a project, and also by making it commonplace to give people with disabilities a chance. Secondly, that extras for a crowd shot should include at least one person with a disability, when hiring, they concluded.