Is New Zealand ready for more diversity on-screen?

The aim of the ‘More Diversity on-Screen’ campaign and survey was to raise public awareness of the under-representation of disability on-screen in New Zealand, as well as to explore New Zealanders’ views about the inclusion of disabled actors and characters in media. The study took an ‘action research’ approach, producing and broadcasting a 30-second TV commercial that encouraged viewers to participate in an online survey aiming to capture attitudes and opinions around the inclusion of more diversity on-screen. Results of the survey showed clear support for the idea of more diversity on-screen, but it also became clear that the task of getting more representation of disability in media is a complex task, requiring a much longer time frame than originally anticipated. We conclude that the onus for change may fall on the disability community, not the media industry, if disability is ever to be portrayed in a truly authentic way on-screen.