CBS Entertainment has signed on to audition actors with real life disability in upcoming television pickups to land production at the company.
This follows a request made by the disability advocacy organization, Ruderman Family Foundation, which seeks the interest of disabled actors in Hollywood. CBS becomes the first television network to respond to the organization’s demands by signing the audition pledge.
“The Ruderman Family Foundation commends CBS for its leadership in becoming the first major media company to pledge to audition actors with disabilities for roles in their productions. It is our hope that major media companies will follow their lead and foster opportunities that will lead to more authentic representation of people with disabilities in popular entertainment. Enhanced visibility of disability onscreen will help reduce stigmas people with disabilities face in everyday life,” said Jay Ruderman, the president of the organization in a statement.
The primary goal of the disability audition pledge is to encourage studios, networks and production companies to be more inclusive in their casting for character representations onscreen to be able to project real emotions of different human states. The foundation reports that 20 percent of the population of Americans out of its 55 million individuals have disabilities, but fewer than 2 percent of television characters do. And of those characters, 95 percent are played by able-bodied actors.
Back in May, CBS’ ‘NCIS: New Orleans’, which stars Daryl “Chill” Mitchell for the role of Patton Plame, was among the four shows honored with the Foundation’s Seal of Authentic Representation, which marks recognition for films and TV series that feature actors with disabilities in substantive speaking parts.
CBS Entertainment executive VP diversity, inclusion and communications lauded their efforts and that of organization’s saying, “We take pride in our commitment to cast and hire people with disabilities in our productions. We salute the Ruderman Family Foundation for advocating for this very achievable and important goal.”
BY: Larry Adams
