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forum home page > BCIDN > Manifesto > Archives > 2002 Manifesto

Granada Media plc ('the Group') – Our Commitment to Disability

Introduction

Disability is and will remain an essential part of our equal opportunities policy and we are happy therefore to state publicly that we shall continue to improve our environment for those with a disability in four main areas. We hope that, by joining with the other Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network (BCIDN) members in making public our commitments, the industry will be better placed to take a major step forward. While, at the same time, because of the industry's visibility and influence, we will be able to make a significant contribution to the integration of disabled people both in the workplace and society at large.

Our Commitments

To increase the presence of disabled people on screen

Initiatives and Action

• Existing monitoring of on screen ethnic participation in all Granada programmes is being extended to cover disability participation.
• The Personnel department in conjunction with the equal opportunities action groups in each business will continue to measure progress annually and report to the ITC.
• We will encourage Producers working across all genres to include disabled people in their programming by offering awareness training and ensuring that all have access to a Producer's guide to disability 'Adjusting the Picture' which can be viewed on our company Intranet or a copy taken from the Personnel Department.
• We will contribute (with the other BCIDN members) towards an industry-wide database of disabled talent.

To increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce including production:

Initiatives and Action

Resourcing

• We have hired a Head of Resourcing with a remit to review all current recruitment practices.
• We have designed and this year will launch a job-site which will ensure job opportunities reach a more diverse, global audience (including advertising the site through coverage in the specialist press).
• We have carried out an audit of all recruitment suppliers ensuring those we use are able to demonstrate good practice on disability.
• We will add more specialist recruitment suppliers to our recommended list.
• We are reviewing and re-designing the Recruitment and Selection training to include a specific section on disability.
• We are members of the double tick scheme (and use its symbol in our advertisements) and intend to do what is required to retain this membership.

Training and Development

• We recently worked with ONE North East and European Social Fund (ESF) to train seven Deaf people as on-screen BSL translators for our Newcastle based Signpost business unit. Six of the trainees were subsequently offered one-year contracts with us and the seventh is studying for a degree and doing some freelance work for us.
• We work with ESF and the Learning and Skills Council (LSE) and are currently training 12 Deaf people in new media skills.
• We have agreed funding from ESF and LSC to train two Deaf technical operators (2002-03) and take one member of Deaf staff (2002-04) through a two-year MA in Human Resource Management, as part of our strategy to open up new areas of work to Deaf people and move them into more senior managerial positions.
• We offer disability awareness training to Managers and Staff.
• We offer an equal opportunities induction course.
• We offer deaf awareness training for hearing staff and hearing awareness training for deaf staff.
• We offer training to 'front of house' staff including audience ushers, receptionists and security guards in dealing with disabled members of the public visiting our offices and studios.
• We offer training schemes and work placement opportunities for disabled people - including on mainstream programming.
• We offer courses for Audience Stewards which includes specific training on emergency procedures for those with a disability.
• We offer financial support to staff studying British Sign Language.
• During 2001 we launched a Disability Distance Learning exercise for 36 Managers and staff who have either customer-facing roles or recruitment responsibility. This involved working through a booklet about best practice in providing a service to people with disabilities as well as about legal responsibilities and then completing a telephone test.
• We are active members of Vanguard. This Group consists of companies that have well-developed Equal Opportunities programmes in place and have already acquired considerable expertise.

Partnerships

• We shall continue to build relationships with schools and colleges with local deaf units e.g. a local high school in TTTV area.
• We shall continue our excellent relationship with the Disability Service Access to Work Scheme providing Government funding to support disabled workers.

To increase access to services, on and off air

Initiatives and Action

• To ensure that all regulatory quotas on both regional and network subtitling of programmes are adhered to and where ever possible exceeded across all companies within the Group.
• To ensure that initiatives to create programming with both Deaf and hearing presenters and a deaf interpreter such as "Newsweek" are followed up across the Group.
• Our Signpost unit already meets the signing requirements for Digital Terrestrial Television and interprets programmes into BSL for numerous mainstream and niche channels. We aim to continue to increase both volume and reach of this facility in the future.
• We will continue to develop Signpost as a centre of excellence in its provision of service for the deaf and hard of hearing.
• We will continue to take close account of the input from all disabled awareness groups and where ever possible to follow up on suggestions and comments.
• We will continue to take full account of the regulatory requirements in the areas of Audio Description and Visual Signing and where ever possible to exceed these.
• To ensure that all staff are aware of the needs of disabled viewers and where appropriate provide training to enhance this awareness
• To ensure that programme support material is available in formats suitable for disabled viewers.

To ensure access to all buildings by 2004

Initiatives and Action

• We have carried out a full disability access audit of all our property, facilities and services undertaken and published in October 1999. This was produced by a disabled architect, David Bonett, a specialist in this field.
• As a result of this work we then commissioned a disabled customer service audit undertaken by Churchill and Friend which focused on public areas within our buildings such as reception, the restaurant and audience areas for example.
• In February 2001 we commissioned a further report by architects T.P Bennett to identify a disability priority worklist, which we have committed to achieving by 2004.

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