British animation studios need to take significant action if they want to attract and retain disabled talent, according to a new report by ScreenSkills that paints a “bleak picture” of the UK animation sector’s current state of accessibility.
Among more than 120 animation workers who responded to the survey, disabled animators reported experiencing more problems at work than their non-disabled counterparts.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of disabled respondents feel that the UK sector discriminates against them. And the majority (56%) disagree that the animation sector is a good industry for disabled people to work in.
Being comfortable talking about disability seems to be another concern, as 60% of disabled respondents believe that disability cannot be openly discussed within the sector. And in terms of employment opportunities, 43% of disabled respondents strongly disagree that current recruitment mechanisms in the industry encourage applications from disabled people.
Results from the study pinpointed a lack of training to educate staff on the topics of disability, accessibility and inclusion—72% of respondents say they have not been provided with training on how to support an inclusive workplace for disabled people.
Looking at potential solutions, 81% of disabled respondents think the most important actions would be to create accessible and flexible career pathways and support more flexible working conditions, including working from home.
The report highlights six recommendations. They include monitoring and investigating disability; education and training; encouraging disability disclosure; more customized career guidance; making reasonable legal adjustments to ensure disabled workers are not at a disadvantage; and scrutinizing working and recruitment practices.
The “Accessibility in Animation” report was conducted by ScreenSkills, in partnership with Manchester Animation Festival and the Visible in Visuals (ViV) network. The full report is available on the ScreenSkills website.
These findings come at a time when more characters with disabilities are cropping up in new kids content from Kavaleer Productions (Adam <3 Adventure), UK-based writer Rebecca Atkinson (MixMups) and UK prodco Eagle Vs Bat (The Sound Collector, pictured). But the number of these shows that are in the market remains low.