In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences presents a virtual program. The event is called AccessAbility/VisAbility: Breaking Down the Barriers for People with Disabilities in Media.
The presentation features conversations with filmmakers with disabilities examining the struggles and successes of the disabled community in Hollywood. Panel videos feature American Sign Language, Communication Access Realtime Translation, and Audio Descriptions.
Panels
Authentic Representation: Why it matters and how far we’ve come.
This video includes a welcome remark by Whoopi Goldberg, and the host is Marlee Martin.
Discusses the representation of people living with disabilities in Hollywood, the evolution to date, and future progress needed.
Panel members are Danny Woodburn, Maysoon Zayid, and Eryn Brown.
Behind the Camera: Why inclusion benefits us all
This panel examines the importance of inclusion not only in front of the camera but also behind the camera.
Panel members are filmmakers Jenni Gold and Jim LeBrecht, and visual effects supervisor Kaitlyn Yang.
Fresh Voices: Hollywood’s Untapped Talent and Unlimited Potential
This session discusses the future of representation in Hollywood, both in front of and also behind the camera.
Panel members are animation director Jorge Gutierrez and actors Millicent Simmonds and Zack Gottsagen.
View Virtual Content
You can view the event virtual content and panels here.