Underlying Health Condition

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Underlying Health Condition (UHC) is a collective movement for change [1] [2] in the UK television industry, founded by Jack Thorne, Genevieve Barr, Katie Player and Holly Lubran.

They are collective of disabled and non-disabled on and off screen creatives & technical crew currently working within the television industry. [3] [4] [5] They champion the Social model of disability.

In August 2021 Thorne announced the creation of the pressure group during his MacTaggart Lecture [6] [7] [8] [9] at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. [10] During the lecture, Thorne called television an "empathy box," but said that "TV has failed disabled people. Utterly and totally." [11]

In December 2021 on the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the collective published [12] a report entitled 'Everybody Forgot About The Toilets', written in collaboration with the Creative Diversity Network, [13] [14] TripleC, [15] [16] the Disabled Artists Networking Community (DANC), [17] [18] Deaf and Disabled People in TV (DDPTV) [19] [20] and the 1in4 Coalition, [21] [22] [23] gaining international coverage [24] [25] [26] [27] from screen industries globally.

Underlying Health Condition surveyed 72 television studios and facilities providers across the UK over a period of 6 months. Only 45.85% of those contacted responded, and during the launch [28] [29] of 'Everybody Forgot About The Toilets,' UHC revealed their findings, including the discovery that there was only 1 fully accessible honeywagon available to hire in the whole of the UK [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] as well as their recommendations for change, which include introducing a line in every High End Television (HETV) Budget for Reasonable Adjustments, the creation of a Disabled Freelancers Fund, training and hiring Accessibility Coordinators, and the creation of a Studios and Facilities Fund. [35] [36] Channel 4 are the first major UK broadcaster to commit to issuing UHC's recommended 'industry-first' guidelines, [37] [38] and in March 2022 ScreenSkills announced they would be training 12 Accessibility Coordinators by the end of the year. [39]

UHC are part of the Coalition for Change, [40] [41] alongside the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky UK, ViacomCBS, STV, Creative England, The Film and Television Charity, UKTV, the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU), Directors UK, WFTV Awards, Viva La PD, The TV Collective, The Unit List, PACT and Share My Telly Job.[ citation needed ]

In August 2022, 9 of the UK's biggest broadcasters, the BBC, Channel 4, Paramount Pictures, Amazon Studios, BritBox, ITV, Sky, UKTV and Disney +, joined UHC, DANC, DDPTV, CDN and the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television in launching the TV Access Project at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. [42] "The flagship cross-industry initiative," said Max Goldbart in Deadline Hollywood, is "a blueprint to rid the sector of appalling accessibility problems," led by BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore. TAP makes clear that studios and facilities providers who meet their guidelines will be prioritised by the member broadcasters when considering new UK commissions.

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References

  1. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (23 August 2021). "'Enola Holmes' Writer Jack Thorne Calls for TV Disability Quota: 'TV Has Failed Disabled People. Utterly and Totally.'".
  2. ↑ Frost, Caroline (23 August 2021). ""TV Has Failed Disabled People, Utterly And Totally", Says Jack Thorne In Impassioned MacTaggart Lecture — Edinburgh".
  3. ↑ Alexiou, Gus. "Disabled People Utterly Failed By TV, Says Decorated Screenwriter Jack Thorne". Forbes.
  4. ↑ "TV has 'utterly failed' disabled people, writer Jack Thorne says". BBC News. 23 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Why it's time to end TV's deplorable prejudice against disabled people". the Guardian. 23 August 2021.
  6. ↑ MacTaggart Lecture: Jack Thorne | Edinburgh TV Festival 2021 , retrieved 2 September 2021
  7. ↑ "TV has utterly failed disabled people, says 'The Virtues' writer Jack Thorne". Screen.
  8. ↑ "Underlying Health Condition pushes for 'structural change'".
  9. ↑ "James McTaggart Memorial Lecture 2021 – Jack Thorne".
  10. ↑ "MACTAGGART LECTURERS ARCHIVE".
  11. ↑ "Jack Thorne, MacTaggart Lecture 2021: TV has failed disabled people and needs radical change". The Stage.
  12. ↑ Norman, Chris (3 December 2021). "Underlying Health Condition – Everyone Forgot About the Toilets – 03.12.21" – via Vimeo.
  13. ↑ "Creative Diversity Network". creativediversitynetwork.com.
  14. ↑ Kanter, Jake (28 January 2021). "Damning New Report Reveals That BAME Representation Went Backwards In British TV Last Year".
  15. ↑ "TripleC | Never leave anybody behind".
  16. ↑ Willcox, Elaine (2 December 2021). "Christmas advert challenges retailers to showcase disabled talent". ITV News.
  17. ↑ Talk, Disability (28 May 2018). "DANC – DISABLED ARTISTS NETWORKING COMMUNITY".
  18. ↑ "Disabled Artists Networking Community". HOME.
  19. ↑ "Resources". BFI.
  20. ↑ "Is Disability a Dirty Word in Film & TV?". Cinegirl.
  21. ↑ "1IN4 | Support the Movement".
  22. ↑ Gray, Tim (10 November 2021). "How 1in4 Coalition Amplifies Authentic Representation of Disabled Creatives in Hollywood".
  23. ↑ Manning-Schaffel, Vivian (19 July 2021). "The 1in4 Coalition is Cracking Open Doors for Disabled People in Hollywood". Shondaland.
  24. ↑ Mitchell2022-02-18T10:36:00+00:00, Wendy. "Is the screen sector offering enough opportunities for the disabled community?". Screen.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ read 1, News 1 min (3 December 2021). "Jack Thorne says British TV and film industry could be "world leader" on disability".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  26. ↑ "Report: demeaning freelancer conditions revealed". 3 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "130 Years of Deaf People and the Moving Image: Coming Full Circle | Watershed". www.watershed.co.uk.
  28. ↑ Yossman, K. J. (3 December 2021). "Jack Thorne Launches Underlying Health Conditions Pressure Group, Publishes Major Report Into Disabled Representation in TV Industry".
  29. ↑ "Four British filmmakers launch pressure group Underlying Health Conditions and reveal a report on accessibility issues in the audiovisual industry". Cineuropa – the best of european cinema.
  30. ↑ "UK pressure group targets structural change to bring about improved accessibility". C21media.
  31. ↑ Goldbart, Max (3 December 2021). "'Help' Writer Jack Thorne: "Radical Thinking" Could Make British TV And Film Industry "World Leader" On Disability".
  32. ↑ "New report reveals lack of disabled access on productions". ScreenSkills.
  33. ↑ "'Woeful' lack of facilities for disabled TV workers exposed in major report". The Stage.
  34. ↑ Kahn2022-01-28T10:20:00+00:00, Ellie. "Jack Thorne: protect PSBs to safeguard disabled talent". Broadcast.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  35. ↑ Goldbart, Max (3 December 2021). "Landmark UK TV Disability Report Urges Creation Of Facilities And Freelancer Funds; Calls For Mandatory Accessibility Co-ordinators".
  36. ↑ Goldbart, Max (3 December 2021). "International Insider: Rating The Streamers; Omiconcerns; Amazon's Prime Hire; Banijay And Sony Buys; UK Disability Landmark".
  37. ↑ Goldbart, Max (6 December 2021). "Channel 4 Signs Former ITV/Sky/Channel 5 Senior Exec Dawn Airey To Its Board Amid Privatization Talk; Issues "Industry-First" Disability Guidelines".
  38. ↑ Yossman, K. J. (6 December 2021). "Channel 4 Adopts New Recommendations on Working With Disabled Talent, Issues Best Practice Guidelines".
  39. ↑ Kahn2022-03-11T00:01:00+00:00, Ellie. "ScreenSkills puts focus on disabled talent working conditions". Broadcast.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. ↑ Goldbart, Max (3 December 2021). "Major Industry Bodies Including Equity, Time's Up And 'Help' Writer Jack Thorne's Underlying Health Condition Join Coalition For Change".
  41. ↑ Kumar, Adeel Amini, Abby C.; Amini, Adeel; Kumar, Abby C. (28 September 2020). "U.K. Coalition for Change: This Is the Moment for an Industry Reset (Guest Column)".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ↑ "Revealed: British Broadcasters & Streamers Demand Change From UK Studios On "Clear & Disturbing" Disabled Access Issues As They Launch The TV Access Project". 23 August 2022.
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