    |
  |
 |
Text-only | Access advice | Disclaimer |
     |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carole-Ann McGuinley
|
Deaf and invisibleTaking action | Get a job! | Find out more There are about 700,000 people in the UK who are severely or profoundly deaf. So why don't you see them on TV? VEE-TV investigates. What if one of the Big Brother contestants was deaf? Or there was a deaf character in EastEnders? Deaf awareness would be transformed overnight. And it's not just a question of actors. Why aren't there more deaf people working in TV production? Where are all the deaf people in TV? 'Television might make deaf people be accepted in society more,' says Laura Atherton, a deaf studies and sociology undergraduate from Hertfordshire who has made a sample deaf TV channel. 'There are a lot of deaf people in Britain, which is not portrayed on television. But from TV, we could teach the hearing world how to use basic sign language and improve deaf/hearing relations. 'One positive example was in ER – a doctor discovered that his son had been born deaf. He got referred to a hearing specialist (played by a deaf actress) who encouraged him to adjust his attitude towards using sign language to communicate with his son.' Stuart Anderson is head of access at Remark!, the multimedia production company co-owned by Ramon Woolfe, VEE-TV's deaf director, and Mark Nelson. He's also a student on the UK's only deaf TV presenters' course at City University in London. 'Apart from the dedicated TV programmes for deaf people such as See Hear and VEE-TV, there is very little really that is positive about deaf people. Deaf babies are portrayed as needing to have cochlear implants or as defective. Deaf adults are portrayed as dumbos, criminals or one of a range of unsavoury characters. I would love to see deaf people portrayed in a more positive light on mainstream TV. Also, there are too many hearing actors taking on deaf roles. This should be outlawed!' Carole-Ann McGuinley, a deaf camera assistant from London, agrees. 'I would love to see a lot more deaf people in TV drama or soaps,' she says. 'They are definitely under-represented – in fact deaf TV programmes are so limited they create the impression that all deaf people talk the same. I'd like to see individual deaf issues tackled in TV dramas.' Taking action So what can be done to improve things? We spoke to Peter Bazalgette, Chairman of Endemol UK, whose programmes include Big Brother, Changing Rooms and Fame Academy. 'We need to be challenged to consider all good candidates for jobs, whatever their background or physical disability,' he says. 'We need to be constantly challenged and they need to take initiative. But we equally need to put in place appropriate policies, which encourage applications. It's a two-way process.' But is that enough? If things are really going to change, don't TV makers need to guarantee fair representation for deaf people? Stuart Anderson doesn't think this is the right way forward. 'Quotas equal tokenism. We need to encourage TV producers to include deaf people as representatives from mainstream society.' Channel 4's chief executive, Mark Thompson, says that the channel is trying to encourage more deaf people into the industry. 'We've made it clear to production companies that we take this very seriously,' he told VEE-TV. One way of helping production companies find you – and of finding out about training opportunities – is the Channel 4 Four All website, which enables you to register on a database available to prospective employers. As far as regulation is concerned, the focus is on access for viewers rather than representation in the industry. But Sarah Thane, director of programmes and advertising at the Independent Television Commission (ITC), hopes that the new laws on access will have a knock-on effect. 'In the new communications law that's going through parliament, there will be obligations to see that more channels carry subtitles and signing,' she says. 'I hope that will carry on the ITC's work in educating the industry about the importance of employing deaf people in their workforce.' Appropriate training is one vital element of this. 'Training is essential for a deaf actor to go professional,' says Laura Atherton. 'And we need that training from hearing companies.' Get a job! If you want to break into TV, Carole-Ann McGuinley's advice is to ask production companies for work experience. 'But be very specific about what you want to do,' she says. 'For example, if you want to work in make-up, go to a make-up artist, not just any old production company.' You could also seize the opportunity to apply for a place on a 'Media Day' for unemployed people who are deaf and hard of hearing, hosted by the RNID and Channel 4 on Tuesday 24 June. It covers programme production, working in post-production, interactive TV, CV preparation and self-marketing, working in news, and on-screen talent. There will also be representatives from the BBC, Channel 5 and skillsformedia at the event. There are only 70 places available on a first-come-first-served basis, so get that application in now! The closing date is Thursday 19 June 2003 at 11am. For an application form, contact Sarah Jones Check out the links and contacts below for more help with careers in the media. Find out moreTraining and jobs BBC Recruitment Broadcast Now Channel 4: Four All Channel 4: Ideas Factory City University Deaf TV Presenter and Deaf In-Vision Interpreter training course The Guardian – Jobs National Film and Television School Skillset skillsformedia Organisations and events Automated Deaf Signing Deaf Broadcasting Council Deaf Film & TV Festival Independent Television Commission (ITC) Sign Post Programming and signed TV See Hear Potted History of Vision On BBC signed TV Channel 4 signed programmes ITV Media Access DTV Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites. |
|
