CBC is collaborating with the Disability Screen Office (DSO) for its national program for Deaf and disabled creators, which has expanded in its second year with a new kids stream.

AccessCBC: A CBC Initiative for Creators with a Disability was launched in 2022 to provide pre-development training, mentorship and financing support to Deaf and disabled creators with programming streams in unscripted and scripted comedy/drama.

The new kids stream will provide pre-development training and mentorship for up to five individual participants or teams — consisting of at least one producer and one writer who are Deaf and/or have a disability — with a focus on animated or live-action short-form series (11 minutes and under) for four- to six-year-olds or six- to 10- years old. The projects can span all genres, including arts and crafts, science and sports.

The scripted stream will support up to four teams who are looking to develop a drama or comedy series, with each team consisting of at least one producer and one writer who are Deaf and/or have a disability.

For both streams, eligible teams must include a producer who has experience working in their field with at least two credits as producer, director, or writer of screen-based content. Individual applicants do not need to be a producer with past credits for the kids stream, according to the program’s guidelines. The deadline to apply for the scripted and kids streams is March 15.

The unscripted stream in this round of AccessCBC will focus on the pubcaster’s Creator Network, providing opportunities for Deaf and/or disabled creators who are currently working with CBC through the network. They will be mentored by a CBC producer who will guide them through the production process.

Sally Catto, general manager, entertainment, factual and Sports at CBC, said in a statement that the AccessCBC pilot program had demonstrated the “breadth and calibre of talent” of Deaf and disabled communities.

“Building on that initial success, the second round of AccessCBC allows us to further connect with and encourage new creative voices. Working with the Disability Screen Office, this groundbreaking program will continue to offer professional development and networking opportunities to help emerging creators overcome barriers,” added Catto.

The DSO was launched in 2022 and is led by executive director Winnie Luk, who said the DSO and CBC both “believe in breaking down barriers and opening pathways for Deaf and disabled creators.”

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