Removing stereotypes by increasing participation of persons with disabilities in decision making – Ramy El-Bergamy, Channel 4

Hi my name is Ramy and I’m the on screen diversity executive at Channel 4. It’s my job to ensure that diversity in all its guises is represented across all channel programming.

Channel 4 is a British Public Service Broadcaster, which was established in 1982 by the UK government with a statutory public service remit and an aim to highlight the cultural diversity of the UK so essentially, diversity is written into our blood.

In its 35 year history, Channel 4 has embraced and reflected the true rich and contemporary diversity that makes the UK so special. It has pushed boundaries and created iconic moments in British television history, including: the first lesbian kiss on Brookside; the first long-running black sitcom Desmonds; pioneering LGBT dramas likes Cucumber, Banana and Tofu; and, of course, broadcasting both the London 2012 Paralympics Games and the fantastic Rio 2016 Paralympic Games last year. Our Paralympics coverage – which has now been added to the GCSE curriculum and will soon be studied by schools up and down the country - is as good as any place to start.

Rio 2016 was a huge moment for Channel 4. Not only did Channel 4 broadcast the incredible games – we also worked hard to increase disability in front of and behind the screen. Almost two thirds of onscreen presenting talent in Rio was disabled which was an unprecedented number. But beyond our on-screen talent, Channel 4 worked to progress the careers of over 20 disabled people already working in the television industry in order to progress their careers rather than searching for new entry level off-screen talent. This contributed to 19% of the production staff in Rio being disabled. The television industry tends to focus on entry-level, but we were aware that there were disabled TV professionals stuck in roles with little progression. Apprenticeships and entry level schemes are great, but what about those already in the industry who feel that their careers are being stifled? We believe that career progression is just as important if not more important. What are the barriers stopping people getting to the top?

Across the world it is estimated that up to 1.2 billion people live with some sort of disability. In the UK, it is thought that some seven million people of working age have a disability, resulting in a spending power of £249bn for the economy.

Furthermore, it’s a no brainer to say that diversity in a workforce is beneficial to any company. The need to reflect your customer base within the workforce breeds empathy and understanding, and far from being a hindrance to a business, this diversity can bring strength, opinion and point of view otherwise overlooked. Cynically speaking, think how much more powerful your narrative is when diversity is represented both off and onscreen.

The way I tell a story will be different to the way you tell a story so how many points of view are we really missing? It’s incredibly important that people behind the scenes come from all walks of life. It can only enhance representation on screen if more diverse people behind the screen are making our programming.

As Danielle Ward, creator of BBC Radio shows Dilemma and Do the Right Thing, said only several months ago, ‘It’s not about being a corrective. I’m just not interested in hearing four straight, white comedians talking about themselves. The conversation is never going to be as interesting.’

And that goes for disability and other branches of diversity too. If individuals living with a disability contribute so much to our national identity, it is paramount that they are reflected accurately in the workforce and media is no different.

Television and film does not do enough to promote disability on screen, and is lacking in representation within the workforce off-it.

According to a new study, 95% of characters with disabilities in the top 10 TV shows in America are played by able-bodied actors. It found that only four actors with disabilities were cast, amounting to less than 2% of all actors on screen – far less than the percentage of individuals living with a disability in America.

Casting able-bodied actors portraying characters with disabilities – for me – is hugely problematic. When disabled actors can’t even get disabled roles, then what hope is there for a disabled actor to play any non-disabled role of any significance on screen? Inevitably that dynamic and those conversations would be different if the key decision maker were disabled.

Disabled actress Amy Conachan joined the cast of Hollyoaks last year, our long running soap targeted at a younger skewing audience. The role is not centred around Amy’s disability, and more programmes need disabled actors in storylines where their disabilities are incidental, as opposed to being portrayed as one-dimensional.

By increasing diversity behind the camera, you allow truer narratives to be told on screen.

Last year, I was tasked with doubling the amount of disabled representation in 20 of our biggest brands. It proved hugely successful and some stand out contributions from disabled contributors helped showcase what was a great year for our channel. When you showcase excellence, viewers will come back time and time again. Disability or not. Here is a video from our year of disability – or YODA – which shows some of our strongest output last year.

Show Year of Disability tape

With that commitment to double disability representation last year, we set about trying to create a ‘new normal’ at the channel where incidental portrayal of disabled people is also prevalent.

That means both physical and mental disability. How we do that is the challenge.

It’s going to take longer than a year but from experience, it will inevitably snowball. When I was a casting producer on some of the UK’s biggest shows, it was no secret that ethnic minorities tended not to apply to television shows. The problem is cyclical though. If minorities don’t see themselves on TV, then why would they apply to be on TV. But if they don’t apply to be on TV then how do they see themselves on TV? If we can break that cycle though, it’ll start to happen organically. And that will happen with more representation onscreen. It’s about working smarter; not harder.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Trust your audience. The audience won’t lose their mind at the thought of someone with autism playing someone autistic on screen. Last year, Channel 4 gave a million pounds worth of air time to a brand that championed diversity and disability. The Maltesers ads are testament to what can be achieved when you think a little bit outside the box not to mention that in their creative pre testing, it was the best performing creative in 6 years for the brand. So financially, there is proof that it can enhance your business. Even if it didn’t, why wouldn’t your campaign or programme or business represent the rich diversity of your country?

Channel 4 doesn’t always get it right, but we do better than most. The media is the most effective way of reflecting society, so we hope you join us in trying to increase the representation of disabled individuals on your television screens and in your workforces.

Thanks very much