Media & Disability

• Home page
• Presentation
• Partners
• Guide on media & disability
  • Who Created this Guide?
  • Disabled People as Programme Participants
    • Portrayal
    • Casting Actors
    • Games Shows and Lifestyle Programme Participants
    • Advertising Commercials
    • Specialist Disability Programmes
    • Studios, Venues and other locations
    • Outside Locations
    • Interviews
  • Employing Disabled People
  • Access to Broadcast Services
  • Communicating with Disabled People
  • Adjustments and Aids for People Specific Disabilities
  • Glossary of Terms
• Project Development
• Legislation
• Resources
• Interesting Links
• News

Guide on media & disability

Game show and lifestyle programme participants

People with visible disabilities aren’t often seen in light entertainment shows or lifestyle programmes. If you’re producing a game show, or normally invite people to take part in a programme, and are willing to include more disabled people, try to take steps to encourage disabled people to participate.

• Say in an on-screen caption or voice-over to your audience at home that you are especially keen to hear from disabled people who want to take part.
• Advertise a text-phone number so that deaf people can use a textphone or minicom to get in touch.
• Use a questionnaire asking “Do you have a disability?” so that you can identify disabled applicants when you take decisions. You would need to explain that the purpose is for positive rather than negative discrimination.
• Place an advertisement in a specialist disability publication saying that you particularly welcome applications to participate from disabled people.
• Get in touch with some local disability organizations, either for a personal recommendation or to advertise to members.
• If you are working for a broadcaster with a community liaison team then talk to them. They will probably have details of local organisations and may know particular individuals worth contacting.