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Media release 1 May 2002
Senior Broadcasting figures take positive action on disability
Britain's
broadcasters today united to launch a manifesto to initiate a significant improvement in the
portrayal and employment opportunities of disabled people in mainstream programming.
The world first is the initiative of the Broadcasters' Disability Network (BDN), comprising the majority of the UK's leading broadcasters. The launch, sponsored by Carlton and held at Tate Modern in London, was hosted by BBC disability correspondent Peter White and actress and presenter Kim Tserkezie, who are both BDN associates.
Outlining their individual Action Plans were BBC director general Greg Dyke, BSkyB chief executive Tony Ball, Carlton Channels chief executive Clive Jones, Channel 4 chief executive Mark Thompson, Granada chief executive Steve Morrison, PACT chief executive John McVay and Film Council chief executive John Woodward.
The BDN members commit to:
- Increase the presence of disabled people on air and on screen
- Increase the number of disabled people in all areas of the workforce
- Increase access to services on and off air
- Ensure access to all buildings
- Produce and make public an Action Plan which has been endorsed at Board level and which details how these key commitments will be implemented
Action Plans vary according to each company, and depending on the nature of each business, may include targets, policies and timetables for inclusion to be achieved in:
- Employment and training
- Casting and portrayal on screen
- Content creation and development
- Programme production
- Website accessibility
- Programme supply - commissioning or purchase
- Programme distribution and promotion
- Support services
Welcoming the manifesto, Secretary of State of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell says:
“There are nearly 9 million disabled people in the UK - a significant part of the viewing and listening audience. Disabled people are important in our society and we should be careful not to sideline them.
It is quite right that they should expect their lives to be presented in a way that is not patronising and recognises their individuality and concerns. I look forward to seeing the pledges set out by the BDN manifesto being turned into concrete action.”
Minister for Disabled People Maria Eagle says: "Getting disabled people in front of the camera and microphone, working behind the scenes, and providing the stories will make a real difference in transforming attitudes to disability in society.
“The broadcasting industry is in a pivotal position to influence us all and to change attitudes to the employment of disabled people for the better.”
With the launch of the manifesto, the BDN aims to significantly improve the portrayal of disabled people, both on screen and behind the camera, so that mainstream programming reflects today's United Kingdom.
There are 8.6 million disabled people in the UK, constituting almost 15 per cent of the population, and the number is growing. At least one in four of the adult population is either disabled or close to someone who is. It is estimated that the spending power of disabled people is between £45 - 50 billion.
Yet disabled people comprise only 0.9 per cent of employees and 0.4 per cent of freelancers working in the broadcasting industry. Also, disabled people are largely absent on radio and television, except in a small number of specialist programmes.
Says BDN chairman and Carlton Broadcasting managing director Colin Stanbridge:
“Today's public commitment by so many leading players in the world of broadcasting, television and film is, I believe, a real turning point in the representation of disabled people on screen and their employment opportunities behind the camera.
Obviously, the proof will be whether fine words are turned into concrete actions. However, having read all the Action Plans published today, I am sure that we are on the verge of real change.”
Notes to editors:
The BDN was established by the broadcasting industry to improve the employment opportunities and representation of disabled people in the media.
It aims to make it easier for members to recruit and retain disabled people and to promote and share best practice across the industry. It is part of the Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD), which represents around 380 major UK employers. Both the BDN and the EFD are the only bodies of their kind in the world.
The BDN members are BBC, BSkyB, Carlton Television, Channel 4, Channel 5, Creative People, Discovery, Film Council, Granada plc, PACT and Turner Broadcasting System. The BBC and Granada are Gold Card members. The BDN also has a group of associates, disabled people with broadcasting expertise, who act as advisers and ambassadors for the BDN.
Although not a BDN member, the ITC, which belongs to the Employers' Forum on Disability, supports the BDN initiative. The ITC has today published its own Action Plan on disability which is available on the ITC's website.
Action Plans - key points
BBC
- The BBC will develop the existing disability production trainee programme to offer five programme-based training placements annually - by 2004.
- The BBC will establish central support systems for all disabled staff - currently this includes the provision of central funds to meet access costs which are outside the costs met by the DST, the establishment of a Disability Computer Group and of a pan BBC Access Unit, and the appointment of a Disability Employment Adviser.
- The BBC is committed to 100 per cent subtitling by 2008 on digital terrestrial channels.
BSKYB
- Sky will promote the use of disabled actors, presenters, experts etc and will support the BDN in identifying effective methods of measuring on-screen disabled presence.
- Sky will offer work experience placements to young people with disabilities. Sky will offer at least one per quarter, in partnership with appropriate support organisations such as Workable and Prospects.
- Sky will ensure compliance to its policy of equal opportunities by requiring all recruitment suppliers to Sky to demonstrate their commitment to equal opportunities by declaring their internal equal opportunities policies and by reporting on diversity within their candidate population on a regular basis.
CARLTON
- As part of a 4-Point Plan, Carlton will develop and fund an Entry Point bursary scheme for disabled applicants offering two six-month traineeships in Regional Programme Production with the aim of increasing the pool of disabled applicants from which future appointments can be made.
- Carlton will extend the company's Diversity Steering Group (chaired by Carlton Channels chief executive Clive Jones, and comprising key executives from across business divisions) to include disability, to develop and drive Carlton's 4-Point Plan.
- Carlton will introduce recruitment monitoring of freelance production personnel (regional and network) for regular reporting to the Boards of the Broadcasting and Productions Divisions to assess the success of Carlton's recruitment measures.
CHANNEL 4
- Channel 4's Disability Adviser already surveys disability inclusion in mainstream programmes for the annual ITC report. Propose to present this measurement of progress annually to Programme Review (attended by all commissioning editors) in January of each year.
- Channel 4 will implement a 'consultative forum' of disabled employees at the channel in order to create a forum for discussing the work environment, access issues and positive changes.
- Funds set aside (£35,000 in 2002) for support of training disabled people external to the channel with a view to increasing the skills base and encouraging employment in production. Following the success of the 1999 TV Skills course and building on the Vee-TV training experience, in 2002 Channel 4 will initiate a more structured approach to training deaf and disabled people in programme production.
CHANNEL 5
- Channel 5 will devise a simple disability monitoring form as part of its post-production record keeping and will circulate as a pilot to all of its major production companies to allow it to get the first accurate picture of how many disabled people are making programmes for Channel 5. The company will then use this knowledge to encourage best practice, and will measure progress annually.
- Channel 5 has run a disability workshop for staff involved in interviewing and selection and plans to run refresher sessions on a yearly basis.
- In 2002, Channel 5's subtitling will cover at least 84 hours of programming per week. This represents 50 per cent of the schedule as a whole. Since the channel's launch in 1997, subtitled output has increased each year, and will continue to do so from 2002 onwards.
DISCOVERY
- Discovery will facilitate comprehensive and compulsory disability training to manager level staff. This training will be repeated on an interim basis, and all new management appointments will be required to undertake this training as part of their induction process on joining the company.
- Discovery will operate an internal help-line, which will make clear to all members of the workforce who their central point of communication must be in all matters of disability. This will not only act as an invaluable service to staff, but also help Human Resources to monitor the success in implementing and communicating the company's Disability Policy.
- Discovery will publicise disability issues, and in particular examples of good practice, through the company's two primary sources of internal communication - the European journal, Disclosure, and the global daily electronic bulletin, Newswire.
FILM COUNCIL
- The Film Council will appoint 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 help the Film Council carry forward its 12 key planned initiatives in 2002/2003. These include to ensure that all funding criteria take account of disability issues and make awareness and consideration of these issues a condition of all funding.
- The Film Council will ensure that reasonable adjustment costs are a legitimate budget line when disabled professionals are employed.
GRANADA
- Existing monitoring of on-screen ethnic participation in all Granada programmes is being extended to cover disability participation.
- Granada 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 Adjusting the Picture - A Producer's Guide to Disability.
- Granada has agreed funding from the European Social Fund and the Learning and Skills Council to train two deaf technical operators (2002-2003) and take one member of deaf staff (2002-2004) through a two-year MA in Human Resource Management, as part of a strategy to open up new areas of work to deaf people and move them into more senior managerial positions.
PACT
- PACT will run at least two training seminars each year for PACT members to provide information about the requirements of the DDA and other legislation relating to disability and diversity.
- PACT will encourage its producer members to support and facilitate disabled people to take part in the full range of mainstream programme genres (factual, entertainment, quiz shows, sport, children's programmes, discussions, news and current affairs) on all subjects and not be confined to productions on disability issues only.
- PACT will encourage its producer members to support and facilitate the integrated casting of disabled actors - both in specifically disabled roles and non-disabled roles where possible.
TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM
- Turner's recruitment and selection training course addresses fair and equitable selection processes. It will be reviewed and revised to fully incorporate a discussion on disability.
- A disability access audit will be carried out by a competent person and reviewed annually, hearing induction loops will be installed in all key locations, and disability awareness training will be implemented for all facilities management staff including receptionists and security officers.
- The planning team for Turner's annual Volunteer Day will endeavour to locate an appropriate organisation with a focus on disability for this year's event, in Autumn.