Hollywood urged to embrace authentic disability representation
A call for change in the entertainment industry
A diverse group of actors, filmmakers, writers, and showrunners has united to sign an open letter initiated by the Inevitable Foundation. This letter urges Hollywood to finance and market more projects that accurately represent people with disabilities. Among the signatories are notable figures such as the director of Coda, Sian Heder, actress Alyssa Milano, comedian Ramy Youssef, and A Quiet Place Part II star Millicent Simmonds.
The letter also emphasizes the need for better data collection on content featuring disabled individuals and ensuring that entertainment venues are accessible to all. The Inevitable Foundation is dedicated to investing in disabled writers and filmmakers, helping them achieve artistic and financial freedom while using film and television to destigmatize disability and mental health globally.
The global disability audience: A massive, untapped market
The letter highlights a significant yet underserved audience within the global entertainment landscape: the Global Disability Audience, which includes over a billion people worldwide. This community spans large coastal cities to rural areas, encompassing a wide range of political and religious views. Despite their substantial buying power and influence, they remain largely ignored by the entertainment industry.
In the United States alone, over 25% of the population has a disability, including physical, invisible, and developmental disabilities, neurodiversity, mental health conditions, chronic illnesses, and those who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, or have low vision. This group wields $21 billion in discretionary income annually, and their numbers are growing. For instance, Gen Z is 71% less likely to report good mental health compared to Millennials, with one in three 18-24-year-olds experiencing a mental health condition.
The demand for authentic representation
Despite the size and potential of this audience, their options for entertainment that both entertains and represents them are severely limited. This lack of representation is why 66% of audiences, both disabled and non-disabled, are dissatisfied with current portrayals of disability and mental health in film and television. Moreover, 20% of all adult audiences would subscribe to a new streaming service and attend more movies in theaters if the projects included authentic representations of people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
Given the size of this global audience, one would expect Hollywood to be heavily invested in capturing and entertaining this demographic. However, this is far from the case. The letter calls for Hollywood to “Greenlight Disability” and outlines several key actions that different stakeholders can take.
Steps to engage the global disability audience
Creatives
Hire disabled writers and filmmakers: Projects created by disabled individuals can tap into this massive underserved audience. Disabled audiences can discern when stories are made for them but not by them. It’s time to develop and greenlight a wave of commercial stories across every genre and format that appeal to this audience.
Intellectual Property (IP)
Invest in IP from disabled authors, game designers, comic book artists, and journalists: There is a valuable segment of the market that has been overlooked—IP from disabled writers and creatives. Investing in this IP can help build the next global franchises.
Creative executives
Hire disabled creative executives: These executives can shepherd projects towards success. Too many non-disabled decision-makers either shut down promising projects or push forward ones that won’t resonate with disabled audiences. It’s time to invest in a new generation of disabled creative executives across studios, networks, and streamers.
Data collection
Invest in data collection and tracking for disabled audiences: Few streaming services prioritize tracking the viewership habits of disabled audiences. Few movies are tested in front of disabled audiences, and this group is often left out of box office tracking surveys. Investing in data and insight infrastructure is crucial for making informed creative and business decisions.
Marketing
Put real marketing muscle behind these projects: Disabled audiences are some of the most engaged consumers and are acutely aware of condescension, tokenism, exploitation, and virtue signaling. Authentic engagement and respectable marketing budgets are essential to reach this sophisticated, loyal audience.
Accessibility
Invest in accessible premieres and screening venues: Many theaters, festivals, and online platforms don’t prioritize accessibility, making it difficult for disabled audiences to attend. Investing in accessibility ensures that this audience can show up and participate.
A lucrative opportunity
Engaging the Global Disability Audience doesn’t need to be relegated to underfunded DEI departments. This is a highly lucrative audience eager to be entertained and with plenty of money to spend. At a minimum, investing in this audience supports business objectives.
So, Hollywood, what are you waiting for?
Sincerely,
Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska, Co-Founders, Inevitable Foundation
With the support of:
Adam Conover, Aisling Bea, Alexander Woo, Ali Stroker, Alyssa Milano, Ben Watkins, Brandon Sonnier, Carol Barbee, Craig Thomas, Chris Cooper & Marianne Leone, Dara Resnick, David Nutter, Eddy Kitsis, Ginger Gonzaga, Jason Katims, Jack Thorne, Jen Statsky, Jillian Mercado, Jorge Gutierrez, Kiera Allen, Lauren Ridloff, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Marlee Matlin, Mickey Sumner, Millicent Simmonds, Nyle DiMarco, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, Paul Feig, Rachel Bloom, Ramy Youssef, Rick Glassman, Rob Delaney, Samara Weaving, Sammi Haney, Sian Heder, Steve Way, Tim Omundson, Troian Bellisario