UNMUTED: Experiences of deaf film and TV professionals working in the UK media industry

Deaf people have often been ignored, dismissed, or muted by society – a minority lost in the sea of the tough world of media. In 2024 Creative Diversity Network (CDN)’s Diamond: The Seventh Cut report found that deaf people make up less than 1% of those working with the UK’s broadcasting industry.It is also worth noting that of all disabilities recorded in the sector, deafness continues to make up one of the smallest percentages. CDN, in one of its earlier reports, Disability Deep Dive in 2020 also found that over the previous 5 years the number of deaf professionals working off-screen had more than halved.

This number is a far cry from the national picture - it’s estimated that currently around one in five adults of working age (18%) across the UK has a form of deafness, ranging from a mild hearing loss to being profoundly deaf. So why is there such a large discrepancy? Why are so few deaf people working in film and TV and why are we seeing such a high dropout rate?

This report reviews the employment opportunities and experiences of current deaf professionals working behind the camera in the UK film and TV industry, building on initial research undertaken in 2020/21 by lead researcher Erika Jones (who was born profoundly deaf). It’s now time for the voices of deaf people working in the industry to be ‘UNMUTED’.