Thread by @jackthorne

Whilst I deflate, I just wanted to do two things, (i) say how grateful I am to the @EdinburghTVFest for giving me this incredible opportunity (ii) leave a little appendix with some things I couldn't fit in and a few places to check out if you'd like to get involved. 1/14

SCOPE have a brilliant paper on the disability perception gap that shows 60% of people underestimate the number of disabled people in Britain, with 41% estimating the disabled community is less than half what it is. 2/14
scope.org.uk/campaigns/disa…

It is therefore easy to see how barriers that the disabled community face are wrongly perceived as niche concerns, when really, they are the concerns of more than one in five of our country. TV must do so much more on this issue to show this country as it is. 3/14

Of course it’s not just showing the community, it’s about how we show them. 80% of disabled respondents to a 2020 CAMEo survey stated that management’s poor understanding of disability and discriminatory views about disabled people had limited their career progression. 4/14

TV plays a vital role in our understanding of our world. So when SCOPE research finds that more than 80% of disabled people don’t feel they are properly represented on screen, we know we are failing at something essential. 5/14

Misrepresentation leads to lack of understanding which leads to discrimination/the dark side. 36% of BSA survey respondents said that they do not know ANY disabled people. TV can put disabled friends in living rooms, who will knock down walls of perception. 6/14

But when we put disabled people on our screens they need to be telling complicated and true disabled stories. Check out the magic @thelizcarr on @davemorrissey64 (@waittpodcast) for some incredible insight into the current disabled experience in TV. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/liz…
7/14

It is crucial we do work off-screen too. That means making spaces more accessible. That means following the social model of disability that explains that disability is caused by the way society is organised, rather than merely someone's physical impairments. 8/14

The campaign I'm part of with @genevievebarr and Katie Player will look to highlight and support the changing of these spaces. If you are a studio or an outside facility and haven't responded yet, please do so. 9/14
…derlyinghealthcondition.wordpress.com

We need to set about doubling disability, the CDN report explains how badly we're failing right now. Please help us in the fight by supporting in particular: 10/14
creativediversitynetwork.com/doubling-disab…

Deaf & Disabled People in TV (@DisabledInTV) are a community of television professionals. They’re there to network, they’re there to learn, they’re there to work. Join in, send them opportunities. 11/14
facebook.com/groups/1693347…

Here’s a brilliant article about their outstanding report which highlights structural inequalities and rampant disablism: broadcastnow.co.uk/magazine/emplo… 12/14

Then there’s The Disabled Artists Networking Community (@DANC_UK ) who look to support and elevate disabled artists from the amateur to the professional. They've launched a talent database this year. They can help you find brilliant people. 13/14
triplec.org.uk/danc/

Finally, I finish my speech with a poem from a special talent. I met @jamierhale on @graeae's Crips Without Constraints scheme. He has a new poetry book about called Shield about his pandemic experience. It’ll break you and build you anew. 14/14
jamiehale.co.uk/shield/