ACADEMY SPOTLIGHTS FILMAKERS WITH DISABILITIES WITH VIRTUAL PROGRAMING IN HONOR OF ADA 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Welcome by Academy governor and Oscar®-winning actor Whoopi Goldberg and hosted by Oscar-winning actor Marlee Martin

Panelists include Eryn Brown, Jenni Gold, Zack Gottsagen, Jorge Gutierrez, Jim LeBrecht, Millicent Simmons, Danny Woodburn, Kaitlyn Yang and Maysoon Zayid

By Iride Aparicio

LOS ANGELES, CA'-  In celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Academy of  Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a special VIRTUAL program title "ACCESSABILITY/ViSABILITY: Breaking Down the Barriers for people with Disabilities in Media" featuring conversations with filmmakers with disabilities examining the struggles and successes of the disabled community in Hollywood. With a welcome by Academy governor and Oscar®-winner actor WHOOPI GOLDBERG and hosted by Oscar -winning actor MARLEE MARTIN. The three-panel event will be available on Oscars.org/events beginning Monday, October 26 at 5pm.

"As the Academy continues to examine long-standing issues of representation within the film industry, it's imperative we bring conversations about disabilities to the forefront. We thank each of our panelists for sharing the triumphs and challenges of their own experiences as disabled actors and filmmakers, and for helping us to open a dialogue that we hope becomes a catalyst for a more inclusive and equitable future." said Academy COO and head of the Office of Representation, Inclusion and Equity CHRISTINE SIMMONS.  We also thank RANDY HABERKAMP, the Academy's Senior Vice President of Preservation and Foundation Programming, for his tireless passion in creating this phenomenal event."
Panels in order of presentation will be as follows:

Authentic Representation: Why it matters and How Far we have come
Representation of people with disabilities in Hollywood. How it has evolved and what future progress still needs to be made. With Actor DANNY WOODBURN, actor and comedian MAYSOON ZAYID and talent manager ERYN BROWN.
Behind the Camera: Why inclusion Benefits Us All
The importance of inclusion in front of and behind the camera. With filmmakers JENNI GOLD and JIM LeBRECHT and VFX supervisor KAITLYN YANG.
Fresh Voice: Hollywood's Untapped Talent and Unlimited Potential
The future of representation both in front of and behind the camera. With animation director JORGE GUTIERREZ and Actors MILLICENT SIMMONDS and ZACK GOTTSAGEN.
ASL, CART and audio descriptions will be available.