Easterseals’ latest report on disability representation in media—Reimagining Hollywood: A New Lens on Disability Inclusion—is both a celebration of progress and a message to Hollywood executives from disabled creatives. The community isn’t going anywhere and it’s economically foolish to ignore authentic stories about disabled life.
Released in January, the report combined data gathered from a survey of 800 disabled people across the U.S., insights from focus groups with disabled people in the media industry, and multimedia features in Variety and TheWrap to assess the current state of disability representation in entertainment and imagine a future in which Hollywood recognizes that disabled people should be telling their own stories.
The data gathered from the Easterseals report—created in partnership with the Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) and Film Independent—indicates that although there are nearly 70 million people with disabilities in the U.S., they don’t regularly see themselves on screen. 83 percent of the adults with disabilities surveyed believe that studio executives in Hollywood have a responsibility to address the lack of disability representation in the media.
Authenticity Has Impact
Since Easterseals released their first report on disability representation in 2018, there have been strides in representation. Ali Stroker won a Tony for her performance in Oklahoma!, “CODA” won Best Picture at the Oscars, and “Crip Camp” was nominated for an Oscar. Marissa Bode and Cesily Collette Taylor also recently made history as the first actors with disabilities in the 21-year history of “Wicked” to authentically portray Nessarose in the film adaptation.
These are just some accomplishments that the disability community celebrates in the report, but creatives in media and entertainment are still fighting misconceptions about disability behind the scenes.
“I don’t think people realize it’s not more expensive [to hire us],” actor Jo-Marie Lawrence told Able News. She recently filmed her first co-starring role on a TV show after moving to Los Angeles in January 2024.
Lawrence was an actor before she became paralyzed in late 2018, and said she had misconceptions about the future of her career when she was newly disabled.
Watching disabled actress Ruth Madeley play lawyer Laura Tucker in The Accident in 2019 changed her outlook on the future. “I just started tearing up because one, it made me feel seen. Two, I was like, ‘Wow, [the role] has nothing to do with her disability.’ And that is what led me to want to start acting again.”
She knew that if watching a disabled actor play a lawyer in a drama could impact her so much, she could use her talents to inspire other disabled people to pursue goals that society tells them are impossible.
Transforming Advocacy Into Action
“We as a community are tired of the talking, the panels, the what can we do better questions. These discussions have been happening for years now and we’re still asking the same questions,” said actor Danny J. Gomez in the report. “How about the industry just [makes] the changes instead of talking about them? Hire more disabled actors, put them in lead roles, take a chance and see what happens.”
Digital marketing executive and film director Anna Pakman told Able News she understands the industry is financially struggling, which makes Hollywood executives hesitant to produce inclusive content because they perceive it as risky. But she believes that the data in the Easterseals report reminds Hollywood executives “of the immense spending power of the disability community” and the general desire for authentic content.
In fact, per the report, authentic diversity within entertainment is the opposite of risky—it helps studios reach a broader audience who will remain loyal to content that feels true to life.
Coordinating Access for Everyone
Even as slow progress is being made in Hollywood to bring disabled stories on-screen, the report emphasizes that disabled actors aren’t the only professionals in Hollywood who need to be involved in creating authentic content. To achieve this, the report emphasizes hiring production access coordinators as a potential solution to making accessibility on set feasible for studio executives.
The role of the accessibility coordinator is to act as a liaison between executives and all talent with a disability on set. They are the point person for everyone’s access needs, which takes the burden of disclosure and spontaneous problem-solving off of disabled people. And if someone does choose to disclose their disability and accommodation needs, they know who to go to for solutions.
“This is such an obvious problem solve because it’s the pressure off of the talent with the disability to communicate their needs for fear of looking difficult. Or maybe they’re not at a place where they’re comfortable speaking about their disability,” actor Nicole Evans told Able News. “And so having a formalized role just kind of takes that pressure off so you can show up and just do your job.”
Evans is also a writer at Change for Balance, which supported Easterseals to develop Reimagining Hollywood. She hopes the information in the report shows studio and network executives that there is a plethora of disabled talent who are ready to work in Hollywood and won’t easily be ignored.
“We have incredible stories to tell and there’s a clear demand for it and a hungry audience,” said Evans. “So let’s get going.”