Canada’s Screen Industry Survey on Disability aims to identify barriers, highlight best practices, and establish new standards for disability representation and inclusion in the sector. People with and without disabilities are invited to share their experiences.

TORONTO, March 17, 2025— The Disability Screen Office (DSO) is leading Canada’s first-ever multi-year study* on the participation of people with disabilities in the Canadian screen sector and the barriers they face in the labour market, thanks to lead support from Accessibility Standards Canada’s Advancing Accessibility Standards Research Program and the Canada Media Fund (CMF)’s Sector Development Support program. The DSO is partnering with Québec-based equity organization Coalition MÉDIA and has commissioned creative industries research firm Nordicity to undertake this study.

As part of this study, the DSO has launched Canada’s Screen Industry Survey on Disability to better understand the experiences and perspectives of people with disabilities working in Film and TV. The data collected will result in two key initiatives:

• A research report of key findings to inform the DSO’s ongoing advocacy on disability representation and inclusion in the Canadian screen industry. This report will help the DSO push for industry changes, amplify best practices, and highlight opportunities to improve accessibility and remove barriers.

• A reference document titled Best Practices Guide to Disability Engagement in the Canadian Film and Television Industry (the Guide), designed to be a foundational resource for industry professionals at all levels. The Guide will provide standards and guidelines for disability representation and inclusion, both on and off screen, across Canada’s Anglophone and Francophone film and television sectors.

Who should participate?

The Survey, open from March through May 2025, is designed for:

• Anyone with a disability or physical, mental, or learning conditions who has worked or is currently working in the Canadian film and television industry;
• People with disabilities who are interested in working in the industry;
• Anyone in the Canadian film and television industry who does not identify as having a disability, but still experiences barriers due to physical, mental, or learning conditions;
• Those without disabilities or physical, mental, or learning conditions who can share their experiences working with individuals with disabilities in the Canadian film and television sector.

Click here to take the Survey: [link]

In addition to participating in the Survey, people with and without disabilities in the film and television industry will be invited to share their perspectives in a variety of focus groups and roundtable discussions later this year.

*We are grateful for the generous support of lead funders Accessibility Standards Canada and the Canada Media Fund, as well as the contributions of Shaw Rocket Fund, Ontario Creates, Creative BC, Bell Fund and PictureNL towards this crucial work.

About the Disability Screen Office 

The Disability Screen Office (DSO) is a national, bilingual, disability-led not-for-profit organization whose mission is to develop opportunities for disabled creatives and advocate for a more accessible Canadian screen industry. Through our partnerships and programs, we’re setting a new national standard for inclusive screen-based storytelling.

Quotes

“Canada’s Screen Industry Survey on Disability is truly groundbreaking—the first of its kind. Through the Survey, we will make history and create real impact in the Canadian screen industry: for the first time, we’ll be able to to understand how many people with disabilities or conditions are working in the Canadian film and television industry, as well as what barriers they face. This data collected from the Survey will be actionable and allow us to work together as a sector to create true change. At a time when so much is shifting around the world, Canada has the opportunity to lead, setting a global example for accessibility and inclusion. By participating in our Survey, we can ensure that disabled voices are heard, valued, and supported in our industry. None of this would be possible without the generous support of our funders, whose commitment to a more inclusive industry is helping drive real and meaningful progress forward. Thank you!”

– Winnie Luk, DSO Executive Director

“The CMF is grateful to support the Disability Screen Office’s critical work as they launch Canada’s Screen Industry Survey on Disability. Identifying and addressing the needs and experiences of Persons with Disabilities in the screen sector is a priority of inclusion work, and a benefit to our communities, workforce, and audiences.”

—Joy Loewen, VP of Growth & Inclusion, Canada Media Fund