Agents from Casarotto Ramsay & Associates are urging UK drama production bosses to hire more Disability Access Coordinators to improve accessibility within the industry [1].

This push for increased staffing comes as agents argue that current levels of accessibility in television production are insufficient. By demanding more specialized coordinators, the agency is attempting to remove systemic barriers that prevent disabled artists from working in the UK TV industry.

According to reports, the agency is contacting the heads of production at every TV drama indie to bang the drum on behalf of access coordinators [2]. This effort is led by agents Julie Fernandez and Sara Johnson, who have held their current positions for two and a half years [3].

Casarotto Ramsay & Associates identifies as the only agents in the UK to run a disability access team [2]. The agency is calling on production companies to stop making excuses for the lack of available coordinators and to prioritize the ability of disabled performers and crew members to work on set.

Production companies are being asked to integrate these coordinators into the same level of production planning as other essential roles. The goal is to ensure that the accessibility needs of disabled individuals are not treated as an afterthought, but as a fundamental requirement for a production's success.

Failure to hire these coordinators often leads to a gap between the intended inclusivity of a script and the actual physical accessibility of a filming location. Without a specialized coordinator, the logistics of accommodating disability on a set are often left to the general production team, which may lack the same expertise in accessibility laws and requirements.

“The agency is calling on production companies to stop making excuses”

This movement signals a shift in the industry's approach to disability, moving from a model of 'reasonable adjustments' to a proactive structural change. By targeting production heads at independent companies, the agency is leveraging its talent pool to force a production environment where accessibility is designed into the budget and planning stages rather than being addressed as a reactive measure.