A burgeoning new role in the entertainment industry is opening up long-awaited opportunities for greater representation of disability: production access coordi- nators (PACs). The inaccessibility of sets, audition spaces and studio lots all too often pose barriers to hiring inclusively, but PACs are helping change this, guiding productions to be accessible to all.

“Many industry professionals are not fully aware of the specific needs and accommodations required for people with disabilities,” Asha Chai-Chang, a freelance production accessibility coor- dinator whose credits include Hulu series and Jennifer Lopez’s upcoming Amazon Studios release “Unstoppable,” told TheWrap. “Studios don’t believe that their crew members or cast could be peo- ple with disabilities. This knowledge gap and lack of acknowledgment for people with disabilities furthers the lack of prioritization on implementing effective accessibility measures.”

Chai-Chang pivoted from filmmaking to production access in 2020 upon realizing she had to disclose her own respiratory disabilities...