Resources

Our website has links to third party sites.  You are subject to that site’s privacy policy when you leave our site.  We are not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other websites or the third-party website’s content or use of language.  Reference in this website to any specific organization, association, agency, service, program or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by Inclusion in the Arts.

Artists in Transition is a nonprofit organization and a resource for visual and performing artists (and their allies) who are facing health issues. Please visit the new interactive website and Facebook link. Artists in Transition presents a comprehensive site for arts and health/disability information.

Ability First provides programs and services to help children and adults with physical and development disabilities reach their full potential throughout their lives by offering a broad range of employment, recreational and socialization programs and accessible residential housing complexes.

Best of Broadway provides comprehensive Broadway theatre accessibility information and direct links to seating charts.

Bethune Theatredanse is one of the first dance companies in America to create and conduct participatory arts programs for disabled youth using multimedia and dance.

Braille Institute’s mission is empowering visually impaired people to live fulfilling lives.

Captioning Key The DCMP is a unique accessible media resource serving the United States and its territories. DCMP services include: (1) a library of free-loan described and captioned educational media for K-12, (2) a clearinghouse of information on media access, and (3) a center for training and evaluation of captioning service providers.

Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning is a grass roots all volunteer membership community of consumers, providers and organizational supporters. CCAC doesn’t sell anything. CCAC is a captioning advocacy organization.  They are online, interactive, and dedicated to quality captioning inclusion universally for all, deaf or not, hearing or not, for communication access, literacy, learning, language, and business benefits.

Deaf Weekly an independently written and edited report of major news in the deaf and hard-of hearing community. Deafweekly is published every Wednesday

Down Syndrome in Arts and Media works with the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles and other Ds Affiliates across the U.S. to provide: 1) Casting Liaison for Talent with Ds and other developmental disabilities, 2) Script Consultation, 3) Visual Artist Referrals and 4) Media Advocacy. www.DSiAM.org.

Disability Rights Legal Center is a nonprofit civil rights organization that has been protecting the rights of people with disabilities for 33 years through litigation, advocacy, training, mediation and education.

Glossary of Preferred Terms: Many phrases that might be thought of as inappropriate are perfectly acceptable, however. People who use wheelchairs do “go for walks.” It is perfectly acceptable to say to a person with a visual disability, “See you later,” or to a Deaf person, “Did you hear about…” Common, everyday phrases of this kind are unlikely to cause offense.

Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc. (GLAD) ensures equal access of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to the same opportunities afforded their hearing counterparts by promoting of social, recreational, cultural, educational and vocational well-being of its constituents.

Media Access Office (M.A.O.) is a no-fee casting liaison service representing more than 900 performers with disabilities.  Created in 1980 by the California Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities under the California Employment Development Department, M.A.O. actively promotes the employment and accurate portrayal of persons with disabilities in all areas of the media and entertainment industry, ensuring that the industry recognizes people with disabilities as part of cultural diversity.

Media Image Coalition is a program of the Los Angeles Country Commission on Human Relations, with a mission to promote increased visibility, diversity and balanced imagery of ethnic, cultural, racial and religious groups, women, LGBTQ, seniors, people with disabilities and other protected groups subject to unfair portrayals in media and the arts.

National Arts and Disability Center at UCLA provides resources, information and training focused on the inclusion of audiences and artists with disabilities into all facets of the arts community.

Performing Arts Studio West provides professional hands-on individualized training, career management, and on-location support for performers with developmental disabilities working in film, television and commercials.

Tarjan Center at UCLA provides leadership in education, research and innovative practices that support the quality of life and community inclusion of all people with disabilities.

The Iris Center funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), develops training enhancements materials to be used by faculty and professional development providers for the preparation of current and future school personnel.  The Center works with experts from across the nation to create challenge-based interactive modules, case study units, and a variety of activities, the purpose of which is to provide research-validated information about working with students with disabilities in inclusive settings.   All IRIS materials are available free of charge through the IRIS website.

I AM PWD: Tri-Union (SAG, AFTRA, Actors’ Equity) campaign for Inclusion in the Arts and Media of People with Disabilities.  The mission is to enhance the status and promote the advancement of performers with disabilities; nurture members knowledge and skills; improve members professional careers through the sharing and dispersing of information; promote the profession as a whole; further the understanding of the profession and foster understanding and respect for the disabled performers within; develop and improve working standards and assist in the continuing development of ethical standards for practitioners in the industry.

Writers Guild Foundation & Shavelson-Webb Library: The WGF is a 501 (c) 3 charitable and educational organization, closely associated with the Writers Guild of America, West, whose mission is to preserve and promote excellence in writing and to advance the recognition of the writer’s unique contribution to the art of film and television.  In addition to the Library, the WGF has educational outreach programs and screenwriting events including Writers on Writing, an ongoing interview series with writers; two major award nominee panels, Sublime Primetime (Emmy Awards) and Beyond Words (Academy Awards); craft days with workshops, screenings and established writers as speakers; and special events, including the Living Legends Festival, which includes screening and Q&A with screenwriters of classic films.

Writers Guild of America, West, Writers with Disabilities Committee seeks ways to aid disabled writers in pursuing their careers in Hollywood and to encourage accurate portrayals of the disabled in film and television.

Women in Film Mentoring Program The WIF Pilot Mentoring Program accepts sixteen WIF members for a one-year period of one-on-one mentoring with established professionals in the industry.  This program allows young women the opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of the industry’s business practices and culture while also gaining hands-on experience.

Writegirl matches high school girls from underprivileged communities in Los Angeles with professional women writers who mentor them on a weekly basis in creative writing, journalism and other styles of writing.

Guilds & Unions

Actors’ Equity Association (“AEA” or “Equity”), founded in 1913, is the labor union that represents more than 48,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.  Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans, for its members. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.

AFTRA (The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is a national labor union representing over 70,000 performers, journalists and other artists working in the entertainment and news media.   AFTRA’s scope of representation covers broadcast, public and cable television (news, sports and weather; drama and comedy, soaps, talk and variety shows, documentaries, children’s programming, reality and game shows); radio (news, commercials, hosted programs); sound recordings (CDs, singles, Broadway cast albums, audio books); “non-broadcast” and industrial material as well as Internet and digital programming.

DGA The Directors Guild of America was founded in 1936 to protect the economic and creative rights of directors.

Over the years its membership has expanded to include the directorial team—Unit Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates.  Today, through the collective voice of more than 14,000 members, the Guild seeks to protect the rights of directorial teams, to contend for their creative freedom and strengthen their ability to develop meaningful and lifelong careers in film, tape and digital media.

IATSE The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada was originally chartered by the American Federation of Labor as the National Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees in 1893.  Our name has evolved over the course of 117 years of geographic and craft expansion as well as technological advancement.   The current title, adopted in 1995, more accurately reflects the full scope of our activities in the entertainment industry.

MPAA The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video, and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.   Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLLP; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

NABET National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians represents over 10,000 workers employed in the broadcast field, and along with CWA (Communications Workers of America) represents over 600,000 workers in the public and private sector in the United States.  NABET-CWA and CWA Members are employed in telecommunications, printing and news media, public service, health care, cable television, general manufacturing, electronics, gas and electric utilities, and other fields.

PGA The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media.  The PGA has over 4,000 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members health benefits, enforcing workplace labor laws, the creation of fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts.  The PGA hosts important industry events including the annual PGA Awards and the Produced By Conference.

SAG (Screen Actors Guild) is the nation’s largest labor union representing working actors.  With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents over 120,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats.  The Guild exists to enhance actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists’ rights.  SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO.

SDC Stage Directors and Choreographers Society is the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States.

WGAE The Writers Guild of America, East, is a labor union of thousands of professionals who are the primary creators of what is seen or heard on television and film in the U.S., as well as the writers of a growing portion of original digital media content.  The WGAE works on their behalf to promote and protect the professional and artistic interests of this diverse community.

WGAW The Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and Internet programming, including news and documentaries.  Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members.  It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national and international levels.

Government Agencies

The California Film Commission offers free online permitting for all state property including state parks and beaches, freeways, roads and government buildings.  From hospitals and prisons to back roads and mountain ranges, the California Film Commission helps filmmakers gain access to the perfect locations.

New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities works hand-in-hand with other City agencies to assure that the voice of the disabled community is represented and that City programs and policies address the needs of people with disabilities.

New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting is the first film commission in the country, and the one-stop shop for all production needs.  The agency markets NYC as a prime location, provides premiere customer service to production companies and facilitates production throughout the five boroughs.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide 2010-11 Edition.
Motion Picture and Video Industries
Actors, Producers, and Directors
Television, Video, and Motion Picture Camera Operators and Editors
Artists and Related Workers

Civil Rights & Disability Laws, Associations & Information

American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law
www.abanet.org/disability

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
http://www.ada.gov

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
www.eeoc.gov/policy/cra91.html

Consumer’s Guide to Disability Laws
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/cguide.htm

Disability Info
www.disabilityinfo.gov/

Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
disability.law.uiowa.edu

National Disability Rights Network
www.napas.org/

National Institute of Standards and Technology
vote.nist.gov/

Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973
www.dol.gov/oasam/regs/statutes/sec504.htm

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Homepage
www.usdoj.gov/crt/crt-home.html

U.S. Department of Justice: A Guide to Disability Rights Laws
www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/cguide.htm