The Disability Screen Office (DSO) has appointed Winnie Luk as its inaugural executive director.

The disability advocate, 2SLGBTQI+ activist and film industry leader will assume the role at the DSO on June 6 and represent the national, not-for-profit organization at the Banff World Media Festival from June 11 to 14, according to a news release.

She’ll take over from interim executive director Andrew Morris, former manager of independent production at Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), which launched the DSO in April 2022. The DSO aims to improve accessibility and disability representation in Canada’s TV and film industry, with funding from partners Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund (CMF).

A news release announcing Luk’s hiring said the DSO’s board of directors is grateful for Morris’ work, noting “the foundation he has laid ensures that the organization will transition smoothly under Winnie’s leadership.”

Luk brings more than 25 years of experience in the non-profit, film, entertainment, and public sectors to the role. Her previous positions include director of operations and events at Inside Out, which puts on the Toronto and Ottawa 2SLGBTQI+ Film Festivals, and managing director of Rainbow Railroad, a global not-for-profit helping LGBTQI+ individuals who are facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.

“My lifelong encounters with mobility disabilities as well as my identities as a Chinese queer woman fuel my passion for advocating for accessibility rights and fostering equity in communities,” said Luk in a statement.

“We have important work to do with members of the Canadian screen industry to eliminate accessibility barriers and foster authentic and meaningful disability representation on and off screen. I am honoured to bring my lived experience and film industry leadership to my new role of executive director for the Disability Screen Office.”

DSO chair Yazmine Laroche said Luk’s “track record in advocacy, community engagement and the entertainment sectors will be invaluable in operationalizing our mission and values.”

Laroche and other DSO founding board members were revealed last December as the organization announced plans to become a fully independent operation.

In its first year of operations, the DSO has supported the AMI’s initial Accessible Writers’ Lab and finished phase one research on a CMF-supported Best Practices Guide for Disability Engagement in the Canadian Film and Television Industry.

Photo courtesy of the Disability Screen Office