Nine key broadcasters and streamers have announced they will boycott production spaces that have not completed the TV Access Project (TAP) accessibility audit by the time the Edinburgh TV Festival kicks off in August 2025.
The TAP Production Buildings Audit Checklist aims to train facilities to self-assess the accessibility features that can represent barriers to deaf, disabled or neurodivergent cast and crew.
The audit and checklist were launched in December and major production facilities, including studios in Manchester and Glasgow, are understood to have already taken part in training sessions.
In an open letter to facilities, leaders of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Paramount, The Walt Disney Company, UKTV, BritBox International, Sky and STV said: “We will be speaking about production spaces work at Edinburgh and are keen to champion spaces that have completed the audit checklist.
“It’s our aim as TAP members that by Edinburgh 2025 we will only be working with production spaces who have completed a self-audit.”
“Doing an audit does not necessarily mean you have to make any changes to your space – it simply means that you will be able to be clear on access to disabled cast and crew coming into your space,” the letter added.
“We understand the challenges facilities face in joining us in our vision for full inclusion by 2030, and know that careful planning will be needed to ensure every space within our industry is accessible to deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent talent.
“Completing the audit will help you identify any necessary adjustments and improvements and plan a roadmap for your space to improve accessibility.”
Founded following Jack Thorne’s 2021 MacTaggart Lecture at Edinburgh, TAP is an alliance of 10 broadcasters and streamers aiming to improve industry access. It will be providing further free training sessions over the next year, which take roughly half a day to complete, and the letter invites studios to sign up to the mailing list in order to take part.
The letter’s signatories are:
- Charlotte Moore, chief content officer, BBC
- Ian Katz, chief content officer, Channel 4
- Kevin Lygo, managing director of media and entertainment, ITV
- Liam Keelan, senior vice president of original productions, The Walt Disney Company EMEA
- Richard Watsham, chief creative officer UKTV
- Robert Schildhouse, president of BritBox North America GM BritBox International
- Cécile Frot-Coutaz, chief executive of Sky Studios & chief content officer for Sky
- Ben Frow, chief content officer, UK, Paramount
- Bobby Hain, managing director of broadcast, STV
