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A multi-voice interview featuring Nancy Weintraub, Emily Ladau, and Nicole Lynn Evans
People with disabilities exist in the entertainment industry. But how often do you see them on screen? They’re either missing, written as afterthoughts, or often portrayed by non-disabled actors.
In an era when the entertainment industry is critically examining who gets to tell stories and who is represented in them, Easterseals Southern California has released Reimagining Hollywood: A New Lens on Disability Inclusion. This comprehensive report aims to shift industry norms and offers a roadmap for structural change, rooted in experience.
Easterseals Southern California first explored disability inclusion in entertainment with its 2018 report, Abilities Unlimited, created in partnership with Variety to coincide with Easterseals’ centennial. That initial report established a baseline for understanding representation in Hollywood and aligned with the broader mission to redefine how the world sees and understands disability. Five years later, recognizing the need to assess progress and identify new opportunities for growth, Easterseals launched a more robust, community-driven follow-up: Reimagining Hollywood. Co-led by Emily Ladau and Nicole Lynn Evans, the new report combines national survey data with insights from focus groups of disabled creatives to present a bold, actionable framework for industry transformation, moving beyond mere visibility to true inclusion and leadership.
Nancy Weintraub, Chief Advancement Officer at Easterseals Southern California, calls the report a “game-changer” for Hollywood. Emily Ladau, media consultant and author of Demystifying Disability, speaks to its broader cultural relevance, while Nicole Lynn Evans, a multi-hyphenate actor, producer, and advocate, offers first-hand insight into how disabled creatives are leading the charge.
Milestones
Several high-profile moments have served as milestones for disability representation. CODA won an Oscar, Ali Stroker broke barriers on Broadway, and documentaries like Crip Camp garnered critical acclaim. Each milestone helped spotlight disability and push the conversation forward.
But isolated wins are not enough. Systemic change requires consistency, scale and infrastructure. “The impetus for this second round of the report was to capitalize on the momentum we’ve seen and take it further,” said Ladau. “What we heard from the community was that every time there was a watershed moment, it got some media buzz but soon after, things reverted to the status quo, with limited and often inaccurate representation.”
While there are signs of progress—a growing awareness and moments worth celebrating, both anecdotal feedback and hard data from Easterseals’ latest survey reveal a more complex reality. According to Ladau, over the past four years of data collection, there has been a measurable decline in the number of respondents who report seeing disability represented on screen. Authentic representation remains inconsistent, and in some areas, has regressed.
“What this shows us,” Ladau explained, “is that there’s still a vast, untapped market being overlooked. We keep saying disability inclusion is a movement, not a moment. But that only becomes true if the industry stops treating us like a trend and starts viewing us as essential.”
Nicole Lynn Evans, Best Actor winner in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and star of Special and Superstore added: “People with disabilities are not going anywhere. We’re talented, passionate, and driven, with amazing stories to tell. Yes, we’ve made huge strides, but we still need a bigger seat at the table. My call to action is for more people with disabilities to be in executive and leadership positions.”
Authenticity
When asked how her early experiences shaped her drive, Evans reflected, “I grew up in a creative household. Performing was always a part of me. I didn’t see myself (someone in a wheelchair) reflected on screen but that didn’t stop me. I started writing my own content and pushing forward anyway.”
Her breakthrough came through the visibility created by the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. “Ryan O’Connell saw my work and cast me in Special. That opportunity changed everything.”
Evans’ authenticity is personal. “Every character I play has a disability, because I have one. That, in itself, is authentic representation.”
Data meets lived experience
The report draws on a national survey of 800 adults with disabilities and interviews with more than 50 disabled professionals in the entertainment industry. It’s this combination of depth and breadth, Weintraub noted, that makes the findings so powerful.
Evans and Ladau helped shape the report through Easterseals’ blue-sky brainstorming sessions. “Everyone has a different way of talking about their disability,” Evans said. “That diversity of experience informed every recommendation from casting to workplace design to storytelling itself.”
One especially meaningful example for Evans came during the Film Independent Spirit Awards. “They added candlelight to the tables so ASL interpreters could be seen. That was a beautiful and thoughtful solution to make the event accessible.”
The power of Production Accessibility Coordinators (PACs)
A central recommendation in the report is the formalization of the role of Production Accessibility Coordinators (PAC), a position Evans says transformed her professional experience.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have the language or confidence to ask for what I needed on set,” she shared. “A PAC serves as a liaison between the talent and production. They understand access needs and advocate on your behalf. That takes so much emotional labor off the actor.”
She emphasized the broader significance: “When a production includes a PAC, it tells me they have an ‘access mindset’- it changes everything.”
Ladau added, “People often think accessibility is expensive, but 90% of accommodations cost less than $500. It’s about mindset, not money.”
“We had to explain why disability needed to be at the table in our first report,” said Weintraub. “Now, we’ve moved past that conversation. The focus is now on systemic change.” That change includes roles behind the camera, in boardrooms and in writers’ rooms—not just on-screen as the background disabled character.”
“What we’re hearing,” Ladau said, “is that we don’t want to be limited to disability stories. We want to be in romantic comedies, Marvel movies, courtroom dramas. Disability isn’t a genre. It’s just life.”
The business case for inclusion
At its core, Hollywood is a business, and decisions often hinge on return on investment. The Reimagining Hollywood report makes a strong financial case for disability inclusion: more than one in four U.S. adults lives with a disability. That’s a vast, underrepresented market hungry for authentic stories.
“We wanted to reframe the conversation,” Weintraub said. “This isn’t about charity. It’s about tapping into a powerful audience and creative pool that’s been overlooked for too long.”
Ladau echoed that sentiment: “Authentic stories resonate and when disabled characters are written with depth and realism, they connect with all viewers. It’s not about writing ‘disability stories.’ It’s about telling human stories that include disability.”
Evans cited director and writer Shaina Ghuraya, whose quote in the report said:
“We need so much more authentic content featuring folks with disabilities. There is a definite gap in the romance department. My hope is that more authentic content around intimacy and relationships is greenlit, because I believe that romance deepens folks’ empathy. Also . . . we’re hot.”
The road ahead
Reimagining Hollywood is both a call to action and a blueprint for disability inclusion. It insists that disabled talent be recognized not just as participants, but as leaders, producers, and changemakers. As the report powerfully illustrates, authentic inclusion isn’t a favor, it’s an imperative!