Disability Inclusion in Movies and Television: Market Research, 2019

This research reveals that about half of US households support accurate portrayals of disabled characters and would sign up for a content distributor committed to disabled actors. Their spending power is estimated at $10.4 billion per month for US households.

Diversity is a Key Characteristic of TV Show and Movies. Diversity ranks 4th overall out of 12 TV and movie characteristics and is among the top 5 most-important characteristics across a wide spectrum of viewers. That diversity includes “persons with disabilities” in the definition is strong evidence that TV and film viewers support programming and films that feature disabled characters and their stories.

Respondents Desire More Representation of Disabilities on Screen. Respondents feel that people with disabilities are under-represented in TV and Movies.

Accurate Portrayals of Disabled Characters Are Key According to Respondents. Half of respondents indicate they are more likely to watch a TV show that features a disabled actor cast as a character with that same disability, versus a show where a non-disabled actor is cast in that same role.

Content Distributors Stand to Benefit By Committing to Disabled Actors and Characters. Half of viewers are more likely to sign up for content distributors committed to more accurate portrayals of characters with disabilities. Likewise, current subscribers indicate both satisfaction and loyalty would increase.

Viewers Committed to More Disability Representation in TV and Movies Have High Spending Power. Those most open to more and more accurate portrayals of persons with disabilities spend more on TV and movie entertainment than average. They also constitute a strong base of potential spending.

Published on September 13th, 2019

Booklet title: Executive Summary Booklet