PolicyWorks values partnerships with other agencies who share our mission and values. One of our most valued partners is Tari Hartman Squire and EINSOF Communications. This partnership focuses on working together on the Lights! Camera! Assess! 2.0 Summits. The Summits bring together youth with disabilities who have an interest in careers in front of or behind the camera in TV, Film, Interactive Media and Advertising — together with industry employers and potential mentors.
Each Summit recruits young people with disabilities in a geographic area; however, events are also advertised nationally. The event brings together employers in these industries to do an opening panel on the challenges and opportunities in this field and then divide the youth into three groups. One group will begin with the flash mentoring and resume reviews, the second will go to a workshop with Derek Shields – a representative of the National Disability Mentoring Coalition — that focuses on networking and the value of mentors. PolicyWorks’ Barbara Butz does a concurrent workshop on issues related to disclosure and seeing your disability as a competitive advantage.
Summits are developed in communities across the nation with the help of local organizing committees and sponsors.
The goals of the Summits are to:
- Increase employment of people with disabilities in front of and behind the camera;
- Improve disability portrayals;
- Enhance access to media with captions and audio descriptions.
Upcoming Events:
NYC – April 11
Chicago – July 31
Boston – TBA