2024

For more than a decade, we have worked to make our content and experiences accessible to the widest possible audience while opening new doors to independence for people with disabilities. By using our media platforms and reach, we hope to raise awareness for disability inclusion, create better understanding around the broad spectrum of disabilities, and inspire action to create a more inclusive society for all.

Patrice: The Movie shines a light on a remarkable crusader for disability rights, confronting systemic failures while foregrounding joy through the energy of Patrice Jetter and her friends.

All screenings of this film will be presented with open captions, and public screenings will have an ASL interpreter.

Kimberly Manky (she/her) is a screenwriter working in both features and television. She aims to break stigmas around mental health and disability, bringing awareness and understanding to these very common human experiences. She is a Fellow of RespectAbility’s Entertainment Lab, a Mentee of 1in4 Coalition Writers, and an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre’s Norman Jewison Film Program Writers’ Lab. She was recently named one of Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters To Watch in 2024, and featured in MovieMaker Magazine.

Sep 13, 2024

Natasha Ofili, a deaf artist who performs in Coldplay’s “feelslikeimfallinginlove” video, talks about the experience at the MTV VMAs.

I had an extremely cool thing happen to me on social media recently. While scrolling my X timeline the other day, I noticed the one and only Simone Biles posted about the Paralympics. She wrote about watching the Games from Paris, which end this Sunday, saying in part everyone should “support [and] watch these incredible athletes.” It’s not trivial to see someone of Biles’ stature throw her considerable influence behind the disability community, so I quote-replied to her post by saying Biles “truly is the greatest of all-time” using the goat emoji. A few minutes after sending it from my iPhone, I received a push notification from X that Biles herself liked my post. Days later, I’m still fanboying over it.

Marketplace’s “Econ Extra Credit” team kicked off the summer with the 2020 documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” The movie tells the story of Camp Jened, located in upstate New York back in the ’70s, which catered to teenagers with disabilities. The environment created a haven for campers who were often marginalized by society.

Campers formed incredible bonds with each other and eventually helped spur the disability rights revolution, which led to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. One huge gain from the ADA: workplace accommodations.

February 28, 2024

EXCLUSIVE: The Black List is opening submissions for six diversity lists in partnership with GLAAD, CAPE, the MPAC Hollywood Bureau, The Salon, the Latin Tracking Board, NALIP, 1IN4 Coalition, and the WGA Disabled Writers Committee, in addition to establishing the Desi List-–a new, curated list that will shine a light on the most promising feature scripts and pilots from South Asian writers.

“South Asians make up a quarter of the human population; Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S.; and South Asians are the fastest growing group of Asian-Americans. That’s a lot of math to say something pretty simple: we’re here, the talent’s here, and the audience is here,” said The Salon co-founders Nik Dodani, Bash Naran, and Vinny Chhibber in a statement.

UK agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has hired Sara Johnson and Julie Fernandez, co-founders of Bridge06.

The company has said the hires are part of its plan to expand its commitment to disability representation across the UK Creative Industries.

Beginning December 4, Johnson and Fernandez will be full-time Casarotto Ramsay agents. Their role will include representing, training, and developing talent alongside supporting all those with access requirements across the film, television, and theatre industries. The agency said the pair will be tasked with growing careers and creating meaningful change with every production their access coordinators work within.

Kaitlyn Yang owes everything to her love of storytelling.

As a young immigrant in the United States, Yang learned English by watching movies. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts as she worked in the film industry as a visual effects artist.

Over the past several years, Yang’s work has also given her a platform to advocate for those living with disabilites. Born with spinal muscular atrophy — a genetic condition affecting muscle movements — Yang is a wheelchair user, accomplishing her goals and encouraging others to do the same.

January 27th, 2023

Michael John Carley: Elaine, tell me about your son, Neal.

Elaine Hall: Neal Katz is a 28-year-old autistic multi-modality communicator who uses gestures, vocalizations, some ASL, AAC, and supported typing to communicate his wants, needs, and complex ideas. He lives in his own apartment with a roommate, has 24/7 staff, and loves to take long walks to self-regulate. He enjoys nature, the beach and chocolate. He has a beautiful, sensitive soul and is loved by many. Through Neal’s typing, he communicates complex ideas, intense feelings.

NBCUniversal has joined the 1in4 Coalition’s mission to increase access, employment and authentic representation of disabled people on and off the screen. The partnership furthers NBCUniversal’s commitment to disability representation and marks 1in4’s first partnership with a broadcast media and entertainment company.

The 1in4 Coalition is accepting applications for the second edition of its Disabled Writers Mentorship Program. The first program launched in March, selecting 14 individuals who each had a complete script, pilot or play. Each mentee was matched with an industry artist or professional from companies such as CAA, Showtime and Shondaland.

“Next year’s festival should be a sharp, vivid contrast to 2022’s lackluster response to the growing, ongoing outrage over the dismal lack of inclusion at Cannes,” said Oscar nominee Jim LeBrecht, co-founder of FWD-Doc.

EXCLUSIVE: Producer Freddy Wexler is developing a feature film based on the true story of Keith Adams—a deaf football coach who last month led an all-deaf football team to the D2 California State Championship—and Adams’ two sons, Kaden and Trevin, who played on the team (Trevin was the starting quarterback). The story was covered by nearly 50 outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, ESPN, Los Angeles Times, Good Morning America, and Telemundo. The production will include support for The California School for the Deaf, Riverside.

The BFI, together with its Disability Screen Advisory Group, today launches Press Reset on the eve of the International Day of Disability. The second iteration of this digital campaign, Press Reset 2021 tackles the damaging impacts of ableism, and urgently calls for the screen sector to change how it engages with Disabled talent behind and in front of the camera.

Winners of the 93rd Academy Awards were unveiled April 25, a day that included another notable announcement: The creation of 1in4, an advocacy group to help disabled workers starting out in entertainment. The coalition was formed when 10 vets began exchanging tales of navigating the industry.

Netflix and Shonda Rhimes are extending their creative relationship, inked in 2017, beyond television to feature films and gaming. Under the terms of the expanded deal, which encompasses Rhimes’ Shondaland Media and her longtime producing partner Betsy Beers, Netflix and Shondaland will exclusively produce, stream and distribute feature films in addition to potential gaming and virtual reality content.

Mark Smith was born with three fingers missing, a physical difference he spent years trying to disguise. He writes candidly about how, aged 40, he is finally ready to ‘come out’