ScreenSkills is partnering with the TV Access Project (TAP) to exclusively host training resources for disability inclusion in the UK screen industries. Named the 5As – Anticipate, Ask, Assess, Adjust, Advocate – the guidelines aim to ensure the full and equal inclusion of deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent talent through organisations committing to certain measures to improve standards. Animations produced by Wider Thinking are live on the ScreenSkills website and are available to download alongside a PDF and PowerPoint slides.
Heloise Beaton, Project Lead for the TV Access Project, introduces the 5As and why they are needed to help support those working in the screen industries and make it a more inclusive environment for everyone.
Delivering training on a subject you are passionate about is an incredibly rewarding experience. I’ve worked with ScreenSkills in the past to deliver training around disability inclusion in the screen industry and it’s affirming when you’re working with a group who are tackling a new subject, challenging previously held ideas, and leave enthused to put new processes in place.
Training is also an essential part of our industry, where there is such value in skill sharing and supporting upcoming talent, pulling from our own experiences and expertise. The variety of training provided by ScreenSkills speaks to the richness and diversity of our industry.
Accessibility and inclusion shouldn’t be reserved solely for training sessions dedicated to accessibility and inclusion. It permeates every role, skill and department, and is the responsibility of all of us to ensure equity in the screen industries. At The TV Access Project, we want to support trainers to confidently embed conversations about accessibility into their training sessions, and that’s why we have worked with ScreenSkills to develop and launch the 5As training materials.
These resources are available to you now to support you to initiate conversations about how each of us can play our part in supporting and advocating for disabled talent.
What is the TV Access Project and the 5As?
Officially launched in August 2022, the TV Access Project is an alliance of 10 of the UK’s biggest broadcasters and streamers who have pledged to work together to create a substantive and permanent structural shift to ensure access provision for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent. Its vision is to see full inclusion by 2030 – that is to say, a television industry where no disabled talent is ever excluded because barriers have been removed and equity created.
ScreenSkills has been an integral partner to the TV Access Project, participating in our workstreams and lending their expertise to reach our vision of full inclusion. ScreenSkills has contributed to creating a set of standards to encourage best practice and provide a framework that can be applied across the industry, both in front and behind the camera. This is where the 5 As were born – Anticipate, Ask, Assess, Adjust and Advocate.
These standards reflect a collective responsibility to radically change the culture and practices of our industry, and have been drawn up by, and in close consultation with professionals from across the industry with lived experience and specialist expertise of disability. Members and partners of the TV Access Project have committed to embedding the 5 As across their organisations.
The training materials
Our training materials include impactful animation videos – produced by Wider Thinking - that bring the 5 As to life. These can be sent to attendees in advance – or played during the session to launch conversation and discussion about how we might apply the 5 As to our own individual roles or department. We have also included template PowerPoint slides – the cornerstone of any training session – as well as a guide on how to use the materials and implement the 5 As into your own practice as a training provider.
Whether your training course directly touches on disability inclusion, or is role specific training across every experience level, we hope these resources empower you to facilitate engaging conversations about accessibility and join us on our journey to full inclusion by 2030.
Discover more
Introduction to disability, access and inclusion