Production

The 5As provide guidelines for disability inclusion in UK television production, and can be applied to all areas of the industry, both behind and in front of the camera. All members of the TV Access Project are signed up and committed to implementing the 5As. These are:

• Anticipate
• Ask
• Assess
• Adjust
• Advocate

When you are producing content for TAP's members you will be asked during commissioning and greenlight conversations to consider how to apply the 5As throughout the production process. Each broadcaster and streamer will have their own individual processes for these conversations and associated paperwork relating to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles.

Find out more about the 5As.

Reasonable adjustments are a legal responsibility of employers, under the Equality Act 2010, to make sure Disabled employees are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their job. Once a job offer has been made an employer can ask what adjustments a person needs.

Reflect back on the 5As and remember to ASK everyone who joins your team whether they need adjustments put in place. Reasonable adjustments can be requested at any time during a contract so it’s important to remember to ADJUST when required.

Find out more about reasonable adjustments.

Securing funding for access should not be a barrier to production companies working with Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent cast, crew and contributors. 

Members of TAP are committed to fund access costs not covered by Access to Work, over and above the production budget.

Whilst each individual broadcaster or streamer will have their own processes, the below information is an agreed approach by all TAP members to fund access, inclusion and adjustments on both scripted and unscripted productions via an Access Funding Request. (AFR)

Specifics for each broadcaster will be provided as soon as possible in development/pre-greenlight/commission. There will be no cap or time limit on the submission of AFRs, because we recognise that unexpected access costs can arise at any time on a production.

Find out more about reasonable adjustments and funding available on productions commissioned by TAP broadcasters & streamers.

The  Industry Access Survey, carried out in 2022 found that physical access in the industry remains extremely problematic, with 1 in 4 offices used by companies in the TV industry physically inaccessible

If the TV industry is to become accessible and inclusive, it is important that production companies identify and remove barriers so Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent employees can work in the buildings and spaces associated with TV and film studios, post-production and office environments. In addition, the Equality Act places a legal duty on employers to make these adjustments.

An access audit is a useful first step towards ensuring that your company is accessible, inclusive and able to employ a wide range of Disabled talent. There are lots of audits and providers on the market.

We have produced the TAP Self-Assessment Audit Checklist, which provides a comprehensive guide to enable companies to assess their own access and provides best practice guidance. Our audits cover:

• Production buildings
• Locations – external
• Locations – internal
• Outside broadcast

You can access the checklists on the TAP BAFTA Hub to access the checklists.

TAP has produced blueprints for accessible facility vehicles for the film & TV industry. These blueprints contain suggested changes that can be made to facility vehicles. Each of the standard vehicles provided by a facilities company is documented. It was written by Translux International and Katie Player to aid companies in making changes by providing a starting point and some helpful guidelines. The blueprints are available here.

Find out more about reasonable adjustments.

Organisations that have completed an access audit and created a roadmap for full inclusion receive TAP Activator Status. You can find a list of TAP Activators here.

Access Coordinators (AC) are specialists working within the Film, TV, and creative industries. They support  productions to identify and remove potential and actual barriers to access for all staff, cast and crew, to  increase the representation of Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent (DDN) people in TV. ACs enable an  “access first” approach, applying the values of the Social Model of Disability  and the 5As.

By engaging an Access Coordinator from the very beginning, you can ensure that the access requirements of a production team, cast and crew are considered from the start and any associated funding can be put in place. Access Coordinators can help support with access in casting, writers rooms and production offices.

Find out more about working with an Access Coordinator.

You can also engage other experts such as Disability Advisors or organise training for your teams.