Loughborough University researcher Theresa Heath focuses on inclusive festival experiences, accessible curatorship, and the participation of disabled individuals in cultural production processes.

As a jury member at the Accessible Film Festival, we spoke with Heath about the current state of accessible cinema, her experience at the festival, and why inclusivity remains a fundamental issue within the film industry.

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Esra Kars: First of all, welcome to Ankara and the Accessible Films Festival. What did you think of the festival? What has the experience of serving on the jury and attending the festival been like for you?

Theresa Heath: My first impression of the festival is that it’s very organized. People are very friendly, and I’ve really enjoyed the films that I’ve seen so far. I’ve been very impressed by the provision for blind and visually impaired attendees. The festival has Braille programs and other materials in Braille, and of course, audio description on the films. I feel like this kind of provision is not something that we see that often, so I’ve been very impressed by that.

Changing culture takes time.

Great! Welcome again, and hope you enjoy the festival. So, could you please tell a bit about yourself and what led you to accessible cinema?

Thank you! My name is Theresa Heath. I’m a researcher at Loughborough University. I’m working on a three-year Leverhulme-funded project looking at access and care at disability film festivals. The point of the project is to examine how disability film festivals approach access and care on screen and in screening spaces. I’m interested in film representation—what we see on the cinema screen—as well as what we are doing in film spaces to make them accessible for disabled audiences.

My previous work is also in community film festivals, and I used to run a very small community film festival myself. That experience led me to accessible cinema. I also have invisible disabilities. In addition, I worked with many disabled people, and I have disabled family members, so it’s an issue that is very close to my heart.

So, do you think that there is a lack of awareness about disability in the film industry?

I can’t speak for Turkey, but in the UK it’s getting better, though very slowly and unevenly. We are becoming more aware of certain types of disabilities, but others are still underserved and misunderstood.

I teach accessible curation, and I often frame it as outreach.

Maybe we can focus on film festivals. One key focus today is audience development. We hear this term very often. In your opinion, what is the relationship between the accessibility of cinema and audience development? Because audience development is also about creating a culture, and I’m wondering about the culture of disabled people.

That makes sense. I feel very passionate about this. I teach accessible curation, and I often frame it as outreach. Once you implement accessible provisions, how do you engage your audience and let disabled people know? That’s the hardest part, because many groups—especially blind, visually impaired, or learning-disabled audiences—are so used to exclusion that they simply don’t attend.

Changing culture takes time. In my opinion, one of the most important things is, are you working with disabled people? Are they part of your team? There’s a saying, “Nothing about us without us.” So first, ask yourself: are disabled people included in production and curation? If they are, they will naturally connect with their communities.

Next, you can identify and work with support groups, charities, or initiatives. Ask them how you can better engage their communities. But again, this takes time and effort.

The industry itself is still quite inaccessible.

You mentioned working with disabled people in teams. How does their involvement when it comes to the production affect accessible cinema?

That’s a very important question. In the UK, only about 11% of people in the film industry are disabled, and for some groups, the number is almost nonexistent. The industry itself is still quite inaccessible.

There are initiatives now, such as training access coordinators who work on set with disabled professionals to ensure their needs are met. These developments are happening, but slowly. You need cultural will, political will, and funding.

Work with disabled people. You will gain perspectives you wouldn’t otherwise have.

It was my last question, but I wanted to ask it now. ☺ What would you recommend to film festivals and especially to the creators?

For festivals: talk to disabled people. If they’re not on your team, find ways to connect—interviews, surveys, focus groups. Ask what they need. If possible, create internships or short-term roles so you’re working with disabled people, not just for them.

For creators: if you’re making a film about disability and you’re not disabled, ask yourself why. Are you the best person to tell that story? If you are, make sure you collaborate with disabled people—assistant directors, producers, etc. You will gain perspectives you wouldn’t otherwise have.

My project aims to support festivals by highlighting their work and providing data that shows their impact. 

Let’s talk about your research, whose name is Care Revolutions: Radical Approach to Disability Accessibility and Care in Screen Industries. Your project focuses on care, accessibility, and inclusion across multiple countries. How can awareness be expanded globally?

By supporting these festivals. It’s becoming harder everywhere to run cultural events because everything is evaluated in terms of profitability. Community work and art for its own sake are losing value.

My project aims to support festivals by highlighting their work and providing data that shows their impact. The more support they have, the easier it is for them to continue.

The research is based on a transformative research framework with a social justice focus. In my own small way, I try to support community film festivals, because they rely on a lot of hard work, long hours, and very limited funding. That’s why I believe supporting them is really important.

So collaboration is key?

Absolutely. I want to build networks between festivals—connecting them, sharing ideas, and organizing workshops so they can learn from each other.

Accessibility is a process. The more you do, the more you learn.

I also see that your research includes work on inclusion and reclaiming. So, in your view, how can cinema include people with disabilities, or those in need of care, as creators? How can an accessible selection be created at the festival?

Inclusion should start from the beginning. Too often, accessibility is added at the end. Think about it from the start: meetings, team needs, film selection, and venues.

Some festivals only select films with captions or audio description. When choosing venues, consider accessibility—even small improvements help. It won’t be perfect, and that’s okay. Accessibility is a process. The more you do, the more you learn.

There’s also a sense of satisfaction, right?

Absolutely. I remember at my festival, two visually impaired people traveled from another city just to attend because the films had audio description. That meant everything.

Festivals can’t solve everything alone.

The experience of attending a festival from another city is really interesting. So what about the relationship between cities and festivals?

It’s very important. Many cities are still inaccessible. Festivals can’t solve everything alone, so they must connect with wider disability rights movements and advocate for change.

How can we transform festival environments further?

If possible, hire an access consultant—someone dedicated to accessibility. But I understand that small teams may not afford this. Every festival is doing its best, and the goal is not to criticize but to understand and share different approaches.

We need accessible spaces and strong representation on screen. 

What about the connection between representation, festivals, and audiences?

They are all connected. We need accessible spaces and strong representation on screen. When people can access the cinema and see themselves represented, that’s what builds an audience.

Audiences are more open than the industry assumes.

In this context, could funding play a role?

Yes. For example, quotas can help, even if they’re controversial. The film industry is risk-averse and tends to fund “safe” stories. But audiences are more open than the industry assumes. More funding for diverse stories is necessary, but changing the system is a challenge.

Thank you so much for this interview, and I hope to spread the film festivals for disabled people around the world!