Arts and Culture

Australia’s media industry, specifically within the television and film production sectors has slowly transcended the trend in casting actors to portray or depict genuine and realistic characters and stories featuring disability, by hiring those of which who share similar lived experiences.

But many fully trained and qualified media creatives who self-identify as disabled, neurodivergent or deaf/hard of hearing are still grappling with ableist attitudes, unconscious bias and discriminatory barriers when dealing with casting agents, executives, directors and producers to get their foot through the door for any available role, either behind or in front of a television or film set.

As part of his DisINVISIBILITY segment, featured in conjunction with International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), Packed Lunch‘s Jarad McLoughlin spoke with Geoff Trappett, Diversity and Inclusion Management Consultant for Inclusion Moves on what can be achieved to initiate the conversation in changing this decades old industry into a more inclusive, intersectional and diverse one for disabled people wanting to perform, write or produce content that acknowledges and amplifies their own voices or those that inhabit the disability community itself.

Produced by Jarad McLoughlin

Photo credit: Inclusion Moves