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The FILM COUNCIL's Action Plan
Introduction
The FILM COUNCIL welcomes the launch of the Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network (BCIDN) Manifesto and the opportunity to become actively involved with the network. As an organisation fully committed to promoting diversity and tackling exclusion, the FILM COUNCIL supports the BCIDN's five principal aims to:
- Increase the presence of people with disabilities on screen.
- Increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce.
- Increase access to services.
- Ensure access to its buildings and, where possible, those of its funded clients.
- Commit at Board level to produce and make public an action plan (including a timeframe) detailing how these commitments will be implemented.
Definition of disability
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (1995) defines a disabled person as 'someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial or long-term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out day-to-day activities.' This definition includes not just those with mobility or sensory impairments but also a wide range of other impairments including mental health problems such as depression or schizophrenia, learning difficulties including dyslexia, diabetes, heart conditions, progressive and fluctuating conditions such as MS or epilepsy and several facial disfigurements.
Stage one achievements to date
Film sits at the heart of British popular culture. It helps shape the way we see and understand the world about us. It can inform, inspire and challenge audiences as well as entertain them. But for many disabled people opportunities to appreciate and enjoy the medium or to contribute to the industry are limited. As part of its Stage One policy initiatives the FILM COUNCIL undertook initial research to provide information about the numbers of people with disabilities currently employed in/or training for the film industry and to set out the opportunities which exist to encourage their full participation. The purpose of this research was to enable the FILM COUNCIL to develop practical and achievable disability policies.
Some key findings from the research include:
- Over 5.5 million disabled people (by official definitions) are of working age in the UK. It is estimated that only 2.3 million are actually in any form of employment, accounting for 12% of all people in employment.
- Access is still a key issue in relation to training. This research indicated that, for example, few training facilities provide details on accessibility or information in alternative formats.
- Current provision for disabled people both in production and training for the industry can be tokenistic, with one-off projects being un-coordinated and piecemeal.
- Access to information about disability and disabled people was poor among film organisations which took part in the research. Comments such as these were typical: "We are a small organisation of eight people and when we have a production we have to crew up quickly with known commodities. It's not that we are unwilling; it's just that we don't know".
- Barriers to full disabled integration into production, for example, included lack of provision within production budgets for reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to work. Some view the film industry as employing 'workers who can work successfully in very poor conditions, including working very long hours without their personal needs requiring any consideration whatsoever' thus revealing ignorance of best working practice in general.
- The research suggested that there might be a need for some appropriate and legal system of quotas or targets in publicly funded productions or else there could be little incentive for change in commercial production.
- Work on the FILM COUNCIL's Specialised Distribution and Exhibition Strategy suggested that in relation to end-user access there could be as many as 8.6 million people in the UK who have hearing loss to varying degrees and some 2 million who are visually impaired, ie around 15% of the entire population.
- Initial research also indicated that attitudinal change within the whole industry was a significant hurdle to overcome.
Stage two – action plan
To assist the FILM COUNCIL in responding to the significant challenges highlighted through its initial research and to ensure the FILM COUNCIL contributes to fulfilling the BCIDN's five manifesto commitments, it will appoint immediately a Disability Adviser to work with the FILM COUNCIL's Board, staff, funded organisations, companies and industry partners to raise awareness of disability issues and provide expert advice.
By April 2003, the Disability Adviser will produce a comprehensive Disability Strategy involving consultation with disabled people and a timed implementation plan.
The Adviser will also help the FILM COUNCIL carry forward its 12 key planned initiatives in 2002/03 to:
- Raise awareness of disability issues in the whole industry through advocacy and influence.
- Share information and collaborate with partners including members of the BCIDN on research regarding disability.
- Ensure that all funding criteria take account of disability issues and make awareness and consideration of these issues a condition of all funding.
- Strengthen statement on subtitling and audio description in the Production Finance Agreement to ensure that producers of future films comply with its provisions.
- Undertake further research on possible technological solutions to the needs of hearing and sight-impaired audiences.
- Offer considered advice and information aimed at improving disability awareness amongst film professionals.
- Ensure that reasonable adjustment costs are a legitimate budget line when disabled professionals are employed.
- Provide key information in alternative formats where this will help a disabled person use a service which would otherwise be inaccessible.
- Audit the FILM COUNCIL website design guidelines to take account of disability issues, for example, colour combinations, use of captions, navigation in general.
- Ensure that staff receive the necessary training to implement increased access to its services and funds.
- Ensure that all FILM COUNCIL staff are fully trained in matters relating to disability by March 2004 and continue to update this training as this action plan is implemented and the FILM COUNCIL develops its full Disability Strategy.
- Audit building and plan alterations accordingly.
10 Little Portland Street
London W1W 7JG
Telephone: 44 (020) 7861 7861
Fax: 44 (020) 7861 7862
Email: info@filmcouncil.org.uk
Web: www.filmcouncil.org.uk and www.firstlightmovies.co.uk
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