Industry Accessibility Standards for Film & Television Events
A shared baseline for accessible, equitable participation across industry events
Call to Action
Informed by findings documenting systemic barriers experienced by disabled professionals at film and television industry events, we call on studios, streamers, academies, guilds, award organizations, and other industry stakeholders to adopt and implement these 10 baseline Accessibility Standards across their affiliated FYC, award and industry events.
By establishing consistent access practices across the industry, we can ensure that disabled entertainment professionals can participate fully and equitably alongside their non-disabled peers.
The Industry Accessibility Standards
Review the 10 standards and sign on to a commit to access at your organization.
Implementation Resources
Information and tools on how to incorporate these standards into your event operations.
The Commitment from Organizations
Signing on does not require an organization to have every standard fully established today. It represents a commitment to work toward implementation and continuous improvement, that includes:
Acknowledging the need for consistent accessibility practices and operations across film and television industry events.
Working toward implementing the ten proposed accessibility standards within their own organizations and, where applicable, with affiliated partners, collaborators, venues, and event producers.
Serving as allies and advocates for accessibility, authentic representation, and inclusion of disabled professionals throughout the entertainment industry.
Implementation Commitment
Organizations signing on are asked to work toward implementation of these standards within one year, recognizing that organizations differ in size, structure, resources, and existing accessibility practices. Organizations will be requested to share annual progress updates with FWD-Doc for inclusion in the initiative’s public progress reporting and Accessibility Ally recognition.
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Review current accessibility policies, practices, event procedures, venues, and barriers to participation.
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Establish an accessibility working group or designate responsible staff to develop an implementation plan.
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Create a realistic timeline with priorities and milestones for implementing the standards across organizational events and operations.
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Share accessibility goals, plans, and relevant information publicly through organizational websites, communications, and event materials.
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Regularly evaluate implementation, identify gaps, and update practices based on experience and feedback from disabled participants.
Implementation Commitment
Organizations signing on are asked to work toward implementation of these standards within one year, recognizing that organizations differ in size, structure, resources, and existing accessibility practices. Organizations will be requested to share annual progress updates with FWD-Doc for inclusion in the initiative’s public progress reporting and Accessibility Ally recognition.
-
Review current accessibility policies, practices, event procedures, venues, and barriers to participation.
-
Establish an accessibility working group or designate responsible staff to develop an implementation plan.
-
Create a realistic timeline with priorities and milestones for implementing the standards across organizational events and operations.
-
Share accessibility goals, plans, and relevant information publicly through organizational websites, communications, and event materials.
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Regularly evaluate implementation, identify gaps, and update practices based on experience and feedback from disabled participants.
About
Who We Are
The Industry Access Standards initiative was developed by FWD-Doc, Jim LeBrecht, Courtney Sanders, and Yaara Kedem following research into accessibility at FYC (For Your Consideration) events.
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Project Lead
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Oscar nominated director for Crip Camp
3x Emmy-winning Executive Producer
FWD-Doc and 1IN4 Coalition co-founder and board chair
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Project Co-Lead
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2x Emmy Award winner
Executive Producer
TVA Member
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Project Manager
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Accessibility Consultant and Film Event Producer
Former director of ReelAbilities International
How It Started
In June 2025, two-time Emmy Award-winning executive producer and TVA member Courtney Sanders reached out to Jim LeBrecht to share her repeated and deeply discouraging experiences with accessibility at FYC events between 2024–2025. Courtney is severely Hard of Hearing and, when captions are unavailable, relies on lipreading. She encountered dismissive interactions, outright rejections, and embarrassing struggles in crowded theaters. With no consistent staff or process to assist, she eventually stopped attending FYC events. Aware that these were long-standing systemic issues, Jim encouraged her to stay and push for change.
Why These Standards
Following testimonies of troubling accessibility experiences, FWD-Doc launched a project to research accessibility at FYC events as part of the Television Academy (TVA). Surveys and interviews with disabled Television Academy members documented recurring barriers — including inconsistent accommodation practices, inaccessible venues, inadequate accessibility information, lack of accountable points of contact, and insufficient staff training — as well as their professional and human impact.
The findings led to further conversations about improving accessibility practices, realizing these challenges extend beyond any one organization. The proposed standards have been developed from the research, interviews and conversations with disabled industry professionals and leading organizations. They are intended to establish a shared baseline for accessibility across the film and television industry.
Scope
These standards focus primarily on operational and procedural practices that can be implemented into any organization and event production process, regardless of funding, resources, or physical limitations, while addressing broader organizational issues such as accessibility information, access request procedures, and designation of access roles.
Organizations should communicate these expectations to venues, vendors, production partners, and other third parties involved in delivering their events.
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