The TV Access Project have launched a toolkit for screen industry training and education providers, with the support of ScreenSkills, National Film and Television School, Britbox UK and more.
The TV Access Project unveiled the toolkit to support screen training and education providers to embed access throughout their courses for Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent learners.
Creating Accessible Courses has been designed for further and higher education, as well as Film and TV departments and training providers to support the skill development of TV workers. Each stage, from course design to delivery, has been considered to ensure Disabled talent can access the same upskilling opportunities.
Designed over the past 12 months, the toolkit comes from TAP’s Training & Education working group led by NFTS, ScreenSkills and Britbox UK with contributions from ITV Academy, Sky, Sky Studios, Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Alliance North, BAFTA, Triple C, London Screen Academy, Falmouth University, freelancers and more.
Speaking at a launch event at Channel 4 last night (16th September), Jon Wardle, Director of the National Film and Television School said “The NFTS is incredibly proud to have played a part in developing this vital toolkit alongside ScreenSkills and partners from across the industry. If we encourage more educators, training providers and decision makers to anticipate rather than react to the needs of creatives with access requirements, to think about who might be excluded before they arrive, we can make a real difference. My ask is simple: read the toolkit, share it and get it into the hands of those designing and delivering courses. The TV Access Project has set an ambitious goal of full inclusion by 2030. A report on its own won’t get us there. Turning its guidance into direct access will.”
He continued, “going forwards the NFTS will be using the toolkit as a part of its formal validation process for new courses. ScreenSkills will be hosting the toolkit on the TAP hub already in situ on their website, and all training tenders that are now awarded by ScreenSkills will require training providers to commit to using it. This has the potential to make a huge impact on the accessibility of training and continued professional development for those working across the screen industries.”
Lisa Opie, Executive Chair, ScreenSkills said of the resource: “Creating a genuinely inclusive screen industry means moving beyond good intentions and making accessibility part of how we recruit, develop and support talent at every stage of their careers. The TV Access Project is so important because it brings the industry together around practical, consistent action, helping to remove the barriers that too often prevent Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent talent from accessing the same opportunities to develop their skills and build sustainable careers.
“ScreenSkills is extremely proud to have played a part in developing this toolkit over the last two years, working collaboratively with TAP and partners from across the industry. It represents another important step towards embedding accessibility into the way our sector works and ensuring that everyone with the talent and ambition to succeed has the opportunity to do so.”
Screenwriter, Jack Thorne, said: “The TV Access Project exists to change the condition for Disabled creatives in this industry. One of the problems we identified early on was the talent pipeline. This is an essential tool for all those who want to join with us in changing the pathway for Disabled creatives. Please use it, please elevate it, please celebrate the magnificent NFTS and ScreenSkills who have supported TAP and lead the way in fulfilling our collective vision of full inclusion by 2030.”
The Creating Accessible Courses toolkit can be accessed now via ScreenSkills website here
Picture: Jessica Sansom
Jon Creamer
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