Underlying Health Condition: Driving Accessibility in the UK Television Industry
The UK television industry has long been praised as an "empathy box," yet for many disabled professionals, the reality of working behind and in front of the camera has been far from inclusive. Underlying Health Condition (UHC) is a collective movement dedicated to dismantling the systemic barriers that prevent disabled talent from thriving in the screen industries.
Founded by Jack Thorne, Genevieve Barr, Katie Player, and Holly Lubran, UHC brings together a diverse group of disabled and non-disabled creatives and technical crew. The collective operates based on the Social model of disability, which posits that people are disabled by barriers in society (such as inaccessible buildings or rigid attitudes) rather than by their individual impairments.
Key Facts
- Founded by: Jack Thorne, Genevieve Barr, Katie Player, and Holly Lubran.
- Core Philosophy: Champions the Social model of disability.
- Major Report: Published 'Everybody Forgot About The Toilets' in December 2021.
- Key Finding: Only one fully accessible honeywagon (mobile restroom) was available for hire in the entire UK.
- Major Initiative: Co-launched the TV Access Project (TAP) in August 2022.
- Industry Support: Backed by major broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and Sky.
The Fight for Basic Accessibility
The movement gained significant momentum in August 2021 during Jack Thorne's MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. During this address, Thorne starkly claimed that television had "utterly and totally" failed disabled people, sparking a call for urgent industry-wide change.
To provide empirical evidence of these failures, UHC collaborated with several organizations—including the Creative Diversity Network, TripleC, the Disabled Artists Networking Community (DANC), Deaf and Disabled People in TV (DDPTV), and the 1in4 Coalition—to conduct a comprehensive study. They surveyed 72 television studios and facilities providers across the UK over six months.
The results were published in December 2021 in a report titled 'Everybody Forgot About The Toilets'. With a response rate of 45.85%, the report highlighted a shocking lack of basic infrastructure, most notably the discovery that only one fully accessible honeywagon existed for hire in the UK.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Proposed Solutions for Industry Reform
Following the report, UHC proposed several critical recommendations to ensure the industry becomes accessible to all freelancers and staff:
- Integrating a dedicated line for Reasonable Adjustments (necessary changes to a job or environment to remove barriers) into every High End Television (HETV) budget.
- Establishing a Disabled Freelancers Fund.
- Training and employing specialized Accessibility Coordinators.
- Creating a dedicated Studios and Facilities Fund.
The industry has begun to respond. Channel 4 became the first major UK broadcaster to commit to UHC's recommended guidelines, and in March 2022, ScreenSkills announced plans to train 12 Accessibility Coordinators by the end of the year.
The TV Access Project and Global Collaboration
UHC is a prominent member of the Coalition for Change, a wide-reaching network that includes the BBC, ITV, Sky UK, ViacomCBS, STV, and various unions and charities such as BECTU and the Film and Television Charity.
In August 2022, this collaboration culminated in the launch of the TV Access Project (TAP) at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. This flagship initiative was launched by UHC, DANC, DDPTV, CDN, and the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television, alongside nine major broadcasters: the BBC, Channel 4, Paramount Pictures, Amazon Studios, BritBox, ITV, Sky, UKTV, and Disney+.
Led by BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore, TAP serves as a blueprint to eliminate accessibility problems. Crucially, the project introduces a systemic incentive: member broadcasters will prioritize studios and facilities providers that meet TAP accessibility guidelines when considering new UK commissions.
| Initiative/Report | Key Outcome/Goal | Key Partners |
|---|---|---|
| 'Everybody Forgot About The Toilets' | Exposed lack of accessible facilities (e.g., honeywagons) | CDN, TripleC, DANC, DDPTV, 1in4 Coalition |
| Accessibility Coordinators | Professional training for 12 specialists | ScreenSkills |
| TV Access Project (TAP) | Prioritizing accessible studios for commissions | BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky, Disney+, Amazon, etc. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Underlying Health Condition (UHC)?
Underlying Health Condition is a collective of disabled and non-disabled creatives and technical crew in the UK television industry working to improve accessibility and inclusion.
What is the Social model of disability?
The Social model of disability suggests that people are disabled by the way society is organized—through physical barriers, attitudes, and systemic failures—rather than by their medical conditions.
What was the main finding of the 'Everybody Forgot About The Toilets' report?
The report revealed a severe lack of accessible infrastructure in the UK TV industry, specifically noting that there was only one fully accessible honeywagon available for hire in the entire country.
How does the TV Access Project (TAP) encourage studios to improve?
TAP creates a financial and professional incentive by ensuring that member broadcasters prioritize studios and facilities providers that meet accessibility guidelines when awarding new UK commissions.
Who are the founders of UHC?
The collective was founded by Jack Thorne, Genevieve Barr, Katie Player, and Holly Lubran.