Yaeger, who uses a prosthetic leg because of a motorcycle accident, has appeared as a guest actor in more than 50 TV episodes, including ABC’s “The Good Doctor” and Netflix’s upcoming “Another Life.” That’s more than most people who are auditioning regularly for continuing series roles, he said, adding, “I’d like more of those opportunities for me and my fellow performers with disabilities.” “It’s what I’ve been pushing for 10 years,” he said, given how infrequently studios and producers open the door to people with disabilities.

Outside calls for action are important and “hold the industry accountable of the work we still need to do in order to see systemic change,” Jones-Clark said in a statement.Īccording to the most recent foundation report, only about 22% of characters with disabilities on network and streaming shows in 2018 were “authentically portrayed by actors with disabilities.” That’s an improvement over 2016′s finding that 5% of such TV roles went to actors with disabilities.Īctor Kurt Yaeger a member of the SAG-AFTRA Performers with Disability Committee, lauded the new agreement. The company is committed “to creating content that authentically reflects the world we live in, and increasing opportunities for those with disabilities is an integral part of that,” said NBCUniversal executive vice president Janine Jones-Clark, whose portfolio includes film, TV and streaming inclusion. Comcast-owned NBCUniversal signed on after a series of conversations with the foundation, he said.

As more people with disabilities are seen in roles, “it will have ramifications throughout society,” Ruderman told The Associated Press.

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