The Television Academy Foundation today announced it will present "The Power of TV: Ensuring Authentic Disability Inclusion," March 7, from 9:30-10:45 a.m. PST. The free, open-to-the-public event will be held at the Television Academy's North Hollywood campus. To register, visit TelevisionAcademy.com/power-of-tv/tickets.
The live event will feature an informative discussion with panelists who are driving disability inclusion, both on and offscreen, within the television industry. Topics include advocating for inclusivity, strategies for success and the challenges faced when working towards greater equity for persons with disabilities. The event will highlight how content creators and employers can further the issue through the transformative power of authentic portrayals in programming, inclusive staffing and casting.
Panelists for the event include actress and neurodiverse director Sue Ann Pien (As We See It); writer/producer David Renaud (The Good Doctor); actress/writer/producer Eileen Grubba (New Amsterdam); Lauren Appelbaum, Senior Vice President, Entertainment & News Media, RespectAbility; and Tari Hartman Squire, CEO EIN SOF Communications, Inc. The discussion will be moderated by Karen Horne, DEIA expert and pioneer.
"As the nation's largest minority — comprising almost 50 million individuals — people with disabilities are a substantive group that can positively impact diversity within our industry when included," said Jonathan Murray, interim chair of the Foundation. "Certainly the light of knowledge on this topic is imperative for a medium as important as television. Part of that knowledge, which this panel will help communicate to the world, is how to focus on things that can be done versus that which can't."
The event will take place at the Academy's Saban Media Center, 5210 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. A pre-event continental breakfast will be served for all attendees at 9:00 a.m. prior to the 9:30 a.m. panel discussion. Admission is free; RSVP is required. To register, visit TelevisionAcademy.com/power-of-tv/tickets.
A full recording of the panel discussion will also be made available for on-demand viewing at TelevisionAcademy.com at a later date.
Download the press release here.
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