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The Manifesto
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.
Five is committed to the 5 key commitments of the Manifesto as drawn up by the Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network (BCIDN):
- To increase the presence of disabled people on air and on screen
- To increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce
- To increase access to services, on and off air
- To ensure access to all buildings
- To commit at Board level to produce and make public an Action Plan (including a timeframe) detailing how these commitments will be implemented
The Action Plan
To increase the presence of disabled people on air and on screen
BCIDN objective: assess existing levels
BCIDN objective: measure progress annually
- Five response: We will devise a simple disability monitoring form as part of our post production record keeping and will circulate as a pilot to all our major production companies to allow us to get the first accurate picture of the disabled composition of the people who make programmes for C5. We will then use this knowledge to encourage best practice. We will measure progress annually.
BCIDN objective: encourage producers working in the full range of programme genres to include disabled people in their programming e.g. in studio audiences, as participants in chat shows, contestants in game shows, interviewees and experts, presenters, actors, vox pops etc.
- Five response: We will encourage producers to include disabled people in their full range of programme genres e.g. in studio audiences, interviewees and experts etc.
- Five response: We support the web-site Productionbase.co.uk and will promote the site to our programme makers.
BCIDN objective: provide advice and training for programme makers to improve disability awareness and know how, including wide promotion of the BCIDN/ITC Producers' Guide 'Adjusting the Picture'
- Five response: We will circulate the BCIDN/ITC Producers' Guide "Adjusting the Picture" to all our programme makers
- Five response: We will provide training to improve disability awareness and give advice to our programme commissioners and producers
BCIDN objective: contribute towards an industry-wide database of disabled talent
- Five response: We support this objective and look forward to working with the BCIDN to achieve this
To increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce including production
BCIDN objective: review all recruitment practices so that job opportunities are accessible to disabled people
- Five response: we have reviewed our recruitment practices to ensure that job opportunities are advertised in publications targeted at disabled people
BCIDN objective: make reasonable adjustments for employees who are or become disabled during employment
- Five response: we will work with any member of staff who becomes disabled during the course of their employment with Five to make reasonable adjustments to their working environment and with any new recruits who may require reasonable adjustments.
BCIDN objective: assess the current level of disabled employees
BCIDN objective: monitor progress annually
- Five response: we assess the current level of disabled employees on an annual basis. This report is submitted to the ITC as part of our annual performance review
BCIDN objective: provide disability related training for staff involved in interviewing and selection
- Five response: we have run a disability workshop for staff involved in interviewing and selection and plan to run refresher sessions on a yearly basis
BCIDN objective: provide disability related training for staff who manage people
- Five response: we have run a disability workshop for some of our staff who manage people and intend to run further courses this year
BCIDN objective: implement one or more of the "double tick" scheme requirements
- Five response: we have already implemented the following requirements from the "double tick" scheme:
- ensure there is a mechanism in place to discuss, at any time, but at least once a year, with disabled employees what can be done to make sure they can develop and use their abilities
- make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they stay in employment
- taking action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make commitments work
BCIDN objective: consult with disabled people about company policies and practices including access arrangements
- Five response: we consult on a regular basis with our disabled employees to ensure our company policies and practices reflect their needs
BCIDN objective: consider other initiatives e.g. awareness-raising programmes in-house; regular consultations with disabled employees; require contractors/suppliers to demonstrate good practice on disability; provide additional training opportunities for disabled staff
- Five response: we have the following initiatives in place:
- We provide awareness-raising programmes in-house on a regular basis
- We regularly consult with disabled employees
- We require contractors/suppliers to demonstrate good practice on disability
- We provide additional training opportunities for disabled staff
To increase access to services, on and off air The DDA states that it is unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably, unjustifiably. Service providers
- Must make reasonable adjustments to practices, policies and procedures which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use the service
- Must provide aids such as a text-phone or information in alternative formats where this would help a disabled person use the service that would otherwise be inaccessible
- From 2001, must make buildings accessible to disabled people wherever this is reasonably possible
- In broadcasting, 'services' includes: programmes, programme support services, websites
BCIDN objective: to review the provision of all services
- Five response: The ITC lays down targets for subtitling, audio description and signing and Five is committed to meeting those targets. We have reviewed the provision of the following services:
- Subtitling: In 2002 Five's subtitling will cover at least 84 hours of programming per week. This represents 50% of the schedule as a whole. Since the channel's launch in 1997 our subtitled output has increased each year, and will continue to do so from 2002 onwards. The programmes we subtitle range across the whole schedule and cover children's, factual programmes, films, drama, current affairs, entertainment, adult education, news and live football matches.
- Visual signing: We provide visual signing for 2% of our DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) output per week. We sign peak-time arts programmes such as: THE GREAT ARTISTS, THE IMPRESSIONISTS, and WORLD OF WILDLIFE peak-time wildlife programme and the FAMILY AFFAIRS Omnibus on Sunday afternoons each week.
- Audio description: We provide audio description for 4% of our DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) output per week. Currently we audio describe our drama strand at 11.00 Monday - Friday each week. Programmes include: THE COSBY MYSTERIES and T.J. HOOKER plus one major peak-time film per week.
- Text-phone: Five's duty office has a text-phone facility, and duty officers are familiar with users who come to them through the Type-talk system.
- Information lines: we ensure that relevant programmes are supported by information lines, sometimes referred to as "dial and listen" lines, which are available 24 hours a day for a period of up to one month after transmission of the programme. The recorded script offers details of organizations that are able to offer direct assistance, one-to-one counseling and practical help. We are considering ways of making these more accessible by 2003.
- Booklets: we provide support material for some of our programmes. We are considering ways of making this material more accessible by 2003.
- Website: we are considering ways of making this more accessible.
BCIDN objective: to alter services to make them accessible to disabled people
- Five response: We are considering ways to increase the access to our programme support services
BCIDN objective: to provide awareness-raising training for staff involved in the provision of such services
- Five response: Programme support services for our programmes are provided by third party organisations. We will be liaising with these organisations to ensure that they provide awareness-raising training for staff involved in the provision of such services for us.
BCIDN objective: To ensure access to all buildings by 2004 by:
The DDA states that steps should be taken to make buildings used by disabled employees accessible now. From 2004, buildings used by members of the public such as contributors and studio audiences should also be accessible. Service providers
- Must set access standards
- Must survey all buildings occupied by the organisations
- Must make alterations to improve access
- Must involve disabled people in both surveying and testing out improvements
- Five response: our staff are located in four buildings, and we intend to conduct a yearly audit to ensure that the buildings comply with regulations. The headquarters at 22 Long Acre, where most are situated, is accessible for disabled people and has facilities for the disabled.
Some of our staff are located at 1 Stephen Street, the building is owned by Freemantle Media Thames and they have disabled access and facilities throughout the building.
We also have a few of our staff in Acton at the offices of the ITFC, Westwood Park Trading Estate. We shall be working with them over the next year to ensure this is accessible for the disabled.
We have a regional sales office in Leeds where 4 members of staff are situated. This building also has disabled access and facilities.
- Five response: we will be ensuring that procedures are implemented to offer assistance to disabled people to leave the buildings in an emergency. This includes evacuation chair training for first aiders, fire marshals and security officers.
We intend to offer further disability awareness training to our reception staff in 2002.
We will display this Action Plan to all our Staff on our intranet.
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