Leading broadcasters and streamers have committed to boycott studios that have not completed an accessibility audit by this time next year.
In a joint letter to studios, the 10 members of the TV Access Project (TAP), said that by next year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, they would only work with studio partners that have undertaken a Production Audit Buildings Checklist to identify reasonable adjustment needs to make them fully accessible.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Paramount, The Walt Disney Company, UKTV, BritBox International, Amazon Prime Video, Sky and STV said they will “champion” spaces that have completed the audit.
Since its foundation at Edinburgh in 2021, TAP has run training sessions at 61 studios including Bad Wolf in Cardiff, home to Doctor Who (main picture), plus Manchester's Dock 10, Sky Studios Elstree, 3 Mills Studios, Ealing Studios, Stage Fifty, Warner Bros Leavesden and BBC Studio Works, with more planned over the next year.
“Doing an audit does not necessarily mean you have to make any changes to your space – it simply means that you will be able to be clear on access to disabled cast and crew coming into your space,” the companies stated in the letter.
“We understand the challenges facilities face in joining us in our vision for full inclusion by 2030, and know that careful planning will be needed to ensure every space within our industry is accessible to deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent talent.
“Completing the audit will help you identify any necessary adjustments and improvements and plan a roadmap for your space to improve accessibility.”
