Lab alumni Nasreen Alkhateeb (2019, Cinematography), April Caputi (2019, Casting), Annie Hayes (2023, TV Writer), and Chrissy Marshall (2023, Writer / Director) shared their industry experiences and offered advice to the 2024 virtual cohort of the RespectAbility Entertainment Lab.
A major component of the RespectAbility Entertainment Lab includes building a community of disabled creatives. One way that RespectAbility achieves this is by inviting alumni to return to share about their experiences – both during and following the Lab – to offer advice to the new cohort.
During an orientation for the 2024 Virtual Cohort, four alumni shared that the Lab goes beyond gaining experience in their area of interest. A common theme emerged among the panelists as many shared how their time during the Lab impacted their perception of disability, including their own.
Nasreen Alkhateeb (she/her), who was in the pilot Lab in 2019 and is a cinematographer, shared how her experience allowed her to take ownership of disability identity. “One thing I learned during my time and what’s definitely helped me in my career subsequently, was learning how to talk about my disabilities and my disability identity with people who are not comfortable with anything disability related.”
Annie Hayes (she/her), a television writer from the 2023 Virtual Cohort, also described her personal takeaway. “I think I got a better understanding of the disability community as a whole in that it is really diverse and that’s what’s exciting about it,” Hayes shared with the 25 Fellows of the 2024 Virtual Cohort. “Seeing the way that people communicated their life experiences, their needs, their accessibility needs… because we all felt comfortable kind of being honest with each other, I think that sort of candid approach is something that I will carry with me in other aspects of work and life.”
April Caputi (she/her), who works in casting and completed the 2019 Lab, related to Alkhateeb and Hayes’ experiences. “I felt a lot more confident in my disability going through the program. I felt like it was truly my first experience being with an organization that had many other peers with disabilities, who were also going into entertainment. So I felt like that was a good playing field for me to just feel calmer and safer when learning about the entertainment industry. I felt like I could be myself more when engaging with other studio executives and gradually felt unashamed of my disability.”
Chrissy Marshall (she/they) is a writer and director from the 2023 Los Angeles Cohort. They echoed what the other panelist shared in regards to the Lab’s impact on their ability to advocate with a disability. “(Disability/identity) disclosure is something everyone doesn’t know how to give you advice on, but here, they do have advice and verbalize on how to do disclosure and how you share your identity, which I think is very valuable, you know, in terms of self-advocating, and we have different avenues that we have to take and RespectAbility does a good job of just addressing all of those. And all the resources that you can reach out to.”
RespectAbility’s Entertainment Lab has 160 alumni, many who are currently working in all facets of the entertainment industry for studios such as Netflix, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and more, including in a variety of writers’ rooms. These alumni shared how the Lab is a unique opportunity for all participants to collaborate with other disabled professionals, building community and confidence in themselves both professionally and personally.
RespectAbility’s sixth annual Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, other disabilities, and multiple disabilities ranging in age from the 20s through the 60s. Lab alumni currently work for a variety of studio partners including Netflix, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, and more, as well as in a variety of writers’ rooms. Others have had films featured at festivals such as Cannes Short Film Festival, SXSW, Slamdance, and Tribeca, and participated in additional career track programs including with Film Independent and Sundance Institute.
