The Power of TV: Ensuring Authentic Disability Inclusion

The Television Academy Foundation invites you to:

The Power of TV: Ensuring Authentic Disability Inclusion

In an era where representation matters more than ever, the television industry sits at the forefront of influencing societal perspectives and norms. Learn from panelists who are driving disability inclusion both on and offscreen, as they discuss strategies for success, challenges faced when advocating for inclusivity, and what it takes to achieve greater equity in the television industry.

Panelists:

• Lauren Appelbaum, Senior Vice President, Entertainment & News Media, RespectAbility
• Eileen Grubba, Performer, New Amsterdam
• Tari Hartman Squire, CEO, EIN SOF Communications, Inc. & Lights! Camera! Access!
• David Renaud, Writer/Producer, The Good Doctor
• Sue Ann Pien, Performer, As We See It

Moderator:

• Karen Horne, DEIA Expert/Pioneer

Continental breakfast will be provided from 9:00 - 9:30 AM PT.

In person ticketing for this event is currently sold out. If you would like to join us virtually for this event, please join us via this Zoom Webinar and use passcode 902779.

If you will be joining us virtually and would like to submit a question, please email it to poweroftv@televisionacademy.com and we will do our best to integrate it into the conversation. 

Click here to reserve tickets.

Event will take place inside the Television Academy's Saban Media Center. Guests are not required to wear masks; however, disposable masks will be available at registration should guests prefer masking.

If you are feeling ill, please do not attend.

The Television Academy Foundation is committed to making our events accessible to everyone. For information about accessibility at the Saban Media Center, please click here.

This is a public event of the Television Academy Foundation. Television Academy Members and the public are invited to attend. Each individual may reserve up to two tickets.

Can't make the event? No problem! This event will be recorded and you can watch on TelevisionAcademy.com the week following the event.

Panelists

David Renaud

David Renaud is a former medical doctor and a Co-Executive Producer in his seventh season of the Humanitas Award-winning and Golden Globe Award nominated ABC series The Good Doctor. He is an alumnus of both the 2022 WGA/AMPTP Showrunner Training Program (SRTP) and the 2022 Sony Showrunner Training Program. At the age of 19, David was in a near fatal car accident that left him paralyzed below the chest. He is committed to challenging preconceptions about people with disabilities and was recognized for his work on The Good Doctor by the Media Access Awards (Visionary Award 2019) and Variety (2018 Inclusion Impact Report). He is also committed to expanding opportunities for disabled artists in the industry and has served as a Faculty Advisor to the Respectability Summer Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities. He has also developed two network medical drama pilots featuring disabled lead characters.

Lauren Appelbaum

Eileen Grubba

Sue Ann Pien

Tari Hartman Squire

Tari Hartman Squire's EIN SOF Communications is a leading disability-inclusive diversity, strategic marketing and employment-consultation firm. "We mean business 25/7."

Squire consulted on hundreds of TV, film, marketing, and/or impact campaigns for: AT&T; Television Academy; Amazon MGM Studios; American Masters; Apple; Bank of America; BBDO; CBS; Droga5; IMDb; Jim Henson Company; Meta; Fox Searchlight; McDonald's; Mattel – Barbie's wheelchair-user friend; Microsoft; NBCUniversal; Nickelodeon; Sony Pictures Television; USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative; Verizon/Getty Images; WNET; UCLA; U.S. Dept. of Labor; and Women's eNews.

After discrimination from a temporary disability, Squire and disabled actors spearheaded SAG Performers with Disabilities Committee and lobbied for disability-inclusion in SAG Affirmative Action/Non-Discrimination clause in 1980 Collective Bargaining Agreement – 10 years before ADA. Squire then became Founding Executive Director of Media Access Office (first disability/media liaison) focused on authentic casting; script consultation; showcases, Media Access Awards, and advocacy.

Her My Left Foot campaign (first disability marketing/DC Congressional Screening) proved ADA a marketing opportunity. Her Lights! Camera! Access! Career Incubator, launched at the Television Academy to coincide with ADA20. EIN SOF serves in Valuable 500's Resource Directory and works with US Access Board addressing employment barriers.

Squire and producing partner Danny Woodburn (Seinfeld) created ADA Lead On Productions, hired 158 disabled cast/crew, won 2021 Shorty Award, 2022 Anthem Gold DEI Award, and they were featured in Forbes.

EIN SOF's Disability Market Research Initiative, featured in Fortune Small Business and Adweek, included The Disability Collection for Verizon/Getty Images. Squire engineered National Disability Leadership Alliance focus groups with thought-leaders/key-influencers to create authentic photos and Disability Guidelines shared with240,000 Getty photographers.

Squire co-authored Ruderman TV Challenge with Daryl "Chill" Mitchell (NCIS: New Orleans), issued to 151 TV series/pilots across 39 platforms to audition performers with disabilities – groundwork for Ruderman Pledge. She co-authored  Making News: Disability Rights Coverage, advised  AP Stylebook on disability-savvy language, is fluent in ASL and produces the 2024 SignLight International Film Festival. 

Moderator 

Karen Horne

Karen Horne is a senior global leader with extensive experience building DEIA best practices for several Fortune 500 companies. She has been recognized as a Diversity and Inclusion expert and a pioneer in building talent development pipelines. Karen was most recently Senior Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, North America at Warner Bros. Discovery. In this role she oversaw DEI efforts for creative talent development pipeline programs, workforce, content and production and helped to create a global DEIA strategy for the company.

Prior to joining WBD, Ms. Horne spent over a decade developing talent and pipeline programs at NBC Universal. She sits on a number of industry and advocacy boards. Karen's work in the DEIA space has been celebrated with numerous awards and recognitions.