DisABILITY In Media

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DisABILITY In Media Educating, integrating and including people with disabilities within the entertainment, news media, and sports industries. There were 160 people in attendance.

Page moderated by Becky Curran Kekula. Americans with disabilities remain virtually invisible in the media. As NPR’s Daniel Schorr notes: “If you don’t exist in the media, for all practical purposes, you don’t exist.”

Like other marginalized diversity groups, people with disabilities want to see people representative of them on television, film and in all forms of media that has the power to shat

ter myths. Our industry creates and exports media images on large, small and personal screens, and those images impact attitudes around the world. Instead of assumptions we are excited with this opportunity to educate the industry about the accessibility and accommodation rights and needs of performers with disabilities and how to address them. Performers with disabilities want to see changes in audition and employment practices so that the results reflect the industry’s commitment to eliminate stereotyping in casting and to “more accurately portray the American Scene.”

In honor of Disability Awareness Month, in October of 2011, we hosted a successful panel titled “Redefining DisABILITY In The Media” that took place at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles. Our interactive panel included Robert David Hall from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," RJ Mitte from "Breaking Bad," Danny Woodburn from “Seinfeld,” Lauren Potter from "Glee,” Teal Sherer and Kim Evey from the web series “The Guild," Chris Thornton, who wrote and stars in "Sympathy For Delicious," Rebekah and Joshua Weigel from "The Butterfly Circus," Eileen Grubba from "Hung," and Noam Dromi, who wrote "Dolphin Tale." In October 2012, we co-hosted another dynamic panel event titled “Embracing Differences in the Media” which included Robert David Hall from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," RJ Mitte from "Breaking Bad," Mia Schaikewitz from “Push Girls,” Mark Povinelli from “Mirror, Mirror,” Tobias Forrest from “The Sessions,” Lynn Manning from Watts Village Theater Company, and Chauntal Lewis from Believe and Become. These events continue to raise awareness about improved portrayals and increased employment opportunities of professionals and talented artists with disabilities both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

19/08/2025
06/08/2025
01/08/2025

We’re thrilled to announce that the legendary Anita Hollander will be joining us as the Host and Emcee for EPIC’s concert presentation of 504: The Musical at both Joe’s Pub at The Public 🎤 and The Studio at St. Ann’s Warehouse 🎶✨
Anita has performed internationally across film, TV, and live theatre. Her award-winning solo musicals Still Standing & Spectacular Falls have graced stages Off-Broadway, at the Kennedy Center, the White House, and more. Her film - Everyday Mermaid - has earned accolades in Berlin, Vancouver, Chicago, Moscow, and Australia. As the former SAG-AFTRA National Chair of Performers with Disabilities, Anita has spent over 40 years advocating for authentic inclusion in the entertainment industry.
We couldn’t be more honored to welcome her voice, brilliance, and legacy to these special performances of 504: The Musical 💙🎶
Our Joe’s Pub show is SOLD OUT but there are still a few pay-what-you-can tickets left to join us at The Studio at St. Ann’s. The ticket link is available in our Instagram bio! 🎟️

01/08/2025

Calling all fashion insiders, tech innovators and accessibility advocates! This fall, Runway of Dreams and The Fedcap Group are hosting the Innovations in Adaptive Fashion & Lifestyle Conference at Civic Hall during New York Fashion Week!

We’re excited to help spread the word about this powerful event, shaping the future of adaptive design.

Register here: https://lu.ma/ofoh8pqe

30/07/2025

Get ready for an exciting weekend of soccer, community, and inspiration at the 2025 U.S. Amputee Soccer Cup! Taking place at Weymouth High School in Massachusetts, this thrilling event will feature intense men’s and women’s amputee soccer matches, a youth clinic, vendors, food trucks, and plenty of opportunities for community involvement.

📍 Weymouth, MA
📅 Sept 12–14
🎯 Friday: 5:30–8PM
🎯 Saturday: 8AM–8PM
🎯 Sunday: 8AM–2PM

Interested in being part of it?
Reach out to [email protected] to participate, sponsor, or volunteer.

28/07/2025

Joe Strechay is a pioneer in media accessibility, a public speaker, producer and consultant for television, and a champion for representation in the media. ...

28/07/2025
21/07/2025
27/05/2025

One Week from Today! Don't miss the two-night free event of THE WORLD LOOKS DIFFERENT SITTING DOWN, a tale of confronting the world at crotch level to bust open misconceptions and limitations.

Whether it's falling in love while learning to surf or navigating mommy groups who were all about pushing strollers, Teal Sherer tells her story with humor, candidness, and vulnerability.

RSVP TODAY!
🎟: https://www.seattlepublictheater.org/special-presentations/

08/05/2025

A new study reveals that nearly 80% of characters with disabilities in scripted TV series airing from 2016 to 2023 were played by able-bodied actors.

07/04/2025

The stand-up comic and sitcom star joked with Steve Kmetko about her "smooth neck" on his podcast

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