Inclusion: Time to Get Real

To celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, SAG-AFTRA’s National Performers with Disabilities Committee has launched a series of video vignettes that shine an entertaining light on some common stereotypes that performers with disabilities face in the entertainment industry.

The series is designed to be a light approach to a serious subject. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one-in-four adults reportedly have a disability, yet on screen, people with disabilities are not only under-represented, they are misrepresented. According to a 2022 Nielsen study, the total share of screen time for people with disabilities was 8.8% and people with visible disabilities made up only 0.4% across all media channels.

People with disabilities represent a major financial market. In North America and Europe alone, the total disposable income of persons with disabilities is $2.6 trillion. When you include the friends and family of people with disabilities, that figure jumps to $18.3 trillion. These are all people who want to support productions that include performers with disabilities. It is an untapped market that shouldn't be.

Watch the videos below in English, English with audio description, Spanish or Spanish with audio descriptions.

And don’t forget to check out the additional information and resources we’ve included.

read press release