The Imagination Industry Fails To Imagine Artists With Accessibility Needs

What If the Most Creative Industry Is the Least Inclusive?

Despite its reputation for innovation, the performing arts industry is overlooking a critical form of talent: artists and professionals with accessibility needs. This article explores the barriers they face and the solutions they utilize — from stages to behind-the-scenes production. They are building a more accessible entertainment economy and showing how inclusion is a business advantage, not a burden.

I wish to acknowledge that the American Sign Language (ASL) conversations were made possible through the support of ASL interpreters.

My Love for the Arts, and a Reality Check

Growing up just outside New York City, the arts were not just part of my childhood — they were central to it. Dance, theater, music, museums, and galleries filled my time and shaped my worldview. I was drawn to both the spectacle and the subtlety of live performance. From Broadway blockbusters to experimental theater in downtown lofts, I learned early on that art is an expression of humanity. I even trained as a mime and once dreamed of studying under Marcel Marceau.

That deep appreciation for performance never faded. But as my passion for accessibility evolved, I started seeing the industry through a different lens. For all its creativity and innovation, the performing arts industry continues to lag in one critical area: opportunities for professionals with accessibility needs.

A colleague from my time at Apple recently reconnected with me. We had worked together on Apple Retail’s accessibility initiatives, ensuring our stores were inclusive for both employees and customers. Today, Mara Jill Herman is an Executive Producer and Communications Strategist who helps artists elevate the visibility of their work.

She initially reached out asking if I would write a profile on one of her clients, Makenzie Morgan Gomez, a performer with an accessibility need. But instead of just writing a single story, I invited her into a broader inquiry: What does it really look like for professionals with accessibility needs to navigate the world of theater, film, and television?

That conversation sparked something larger. We began interviewing actors, dancers, directors, and consultants — individuals whose experiences reflect both the barriers and the breakthroughs in the entertainment world. Their voices brought clarity to a truth too often ignored: accessibility is not about limitations — it is about unlocking potential.

Redefining Presence on Stage

Makenzie Morgan Gomez is a performer who is redefining what it means to bring your whole self to the stage. As a queer, non-binary, Mexican-American actor who also lives with a disability, Makenzie is not interested in fitting into narrow industry boxes, she is reshaping the whole casting conversation.

As creator of Music and the Mirror (& Mobility Aids), Makenzie integrated her use of a wheelchair, crutches and a cane into the physicality of the character, creating a layered, authentic performance that challenged audiences to rethink their assumptions about mobility and identity.

Makenzie’s work extends beyond acting. She collaborates with creative teams and casting directors to embed accessibility into scripts, and engages in training efforts to build awareness in production environments. Whether she is consulting on set design or co-creating wellness practices tailored for disabled artists, Makenzie is committed to a vision of the arts that is inclusive and creative.

“Casting directors are not very creative thinkers a lot of the time. And I have experienced this being Mexican. I’ve experienced this being queer, non-binary, and then now experiencing it being disabled. If I don’t come into the room looking exactly the way that says what I am, it’s like they can’t imagine that someone who wears makeup might be able to use they/them pronouns or play a male character or whatever — like that kind of lack of imagination directly translates to disability.” — Makenzie Morgan Gomez

Makenzie’s insights cut straight to the core of the industry’s imagination gap. She is not looking for special treatment, she is asking for what every artist deserves: the chance to be seen for the fullness of their talent and the richness of her identity.

Her performances, advocacy, and lived experience are a testament to what is possible when the performing arts expand their definitions of who belongs in the room and what stories are worth telling.

Building Access Through Performance and Advocacy

In the evolving landscape of theater, Deaf actor Erin Rosenfeld is challenging traditional casting norms and redefining performance accessibility. Born hard of hearing and now completely deaf in one ear, Rosenfeld navigates the industry by utilizing ASL interpreters, live captioning apps, and lip reading to communicate effectively. Her performances in productions like Spring Awakening and The Rocky Horror Show demonstrate her versatility, while her advocacy describes the systemic barriers deaf performers face in mainstream theater.

Rosenfeld’s mission extends beyond personal success, she aims to become a transformative representation for younger deaf actors. By challenging casting directors’ narrow perceptions and proving that deaf performers can authentically inhabit any role, she is reshaping the industry’s understanding of inclusivity. Her core message is simple: accessibility can enhance storytelling, not limit it. Through open-mindedness, genuine collaboration, and a commitment to breaking down barriers, Rosenfeld is not just seeking opportunities for herself, but creating a more expansive, imaginative future for performers with disabilities.

“I think it really just relates to what we’ve recently been talking about, about how truly anything is possible. Any character can be played by anyone, any show can have ASL, actors with mobility aids, can have XYZ. And really, people just need to explore it a little bit and open their minds a little bit.” — Erin Rosenfeld

Turning Adversity Into Opportunity

Danny J. Gomez is an actor who experienced a life-altering mountain biking accident into a transformation. Paralyzed from the waist down, Gomez shifted from being a part-time bartender with acting aspirations to a dedicated performer who has since appeared in Off-Broadway productions, commercials, and short films. His journey exemplifies how personal adversity can become a powerful driver of professional passion and purpose.

In the entertainment industry, Gomez has become an advocate for accessibility, consistently highlighting the systemic challenges faced by disabled performers. From experiencing humiliating situations like being forced to use an alleyway as a restroom during a commercial shoot to being dropped from a production due to inaccessible locations, he has encountered numerous obstacles. However, Gomez approaches these challenges not with anger, but with a constructive mindset focused on education and gradual systemic improvement.

Gomez seeks to demonstrate that actors with disabilities should be evaluated on talent, not limitations. By consistently delivering performances and advocating for better industry practices, he is helping to reshape perceptions of disabled talent in entertainment. His message is clear: accessibility is not just a moral imperative, but a business opportunity that allows productions to tap into a large, underrepresented talent pool and audience demographic. Through his work, Gomez is not just advancing his own career, he is paving the way for future generations of performers with disabilities.

“The disabled community is so large in the United States that producers are missing out.”— Danny J. Gomez

From Tokenism to Integration

Shane Dittmar is a visionary blind theater artist and composer who is reshaping perceptions of accessibility in the performing arts. As a music director and writer, they navigate the complex world of musical theater with innovative tools and determination, using specialized Braille transcription techniques to transform digital sheet music into a format they can read and perform.

Beyond their creative work, Shane is an advocate for disabled artists, challenging the entertainment industry’s narrow perspectives on inclusion. They serve as a director for ActionPlay, an organization supporting neurodivergent and disabled young artists, and actively participate in panels and discussions that highlight the vast, often overlooked talents of performers with disabilities. Their approach goes beyond mere representation, demonstrating that artists should be valued for their skills, creativity, and professional capabilities, not defined by their disabilities.

Shane’s career, which spans music composition, theater production, and accessibility consulting, exemplifies the power of innovative problem-solving and self-advocacy. By developing custom workflows, leveraging advanced technological tools, and consistently proving their professional competence, they are gradually dismantling systemic barriers in entertainment. Their work sends a powerful message: “disability is not a limitation, but a unique lens through which extraordinary artistic contributions can emerge.”

“It is fundamentally hard to make a space inclusive of a group that is not in the room. I am able to get myself into rooms, and when I get past people, I’m able to prove that I am good at my job… but it’s not a function of them wanting to make this space open to me. It’s a function of my having the privilege of being able to force myself into spaces and to overcome stuff and self-accommodate.”

— Shane Dittmar

A Hybrid Career of Wellness and Visibility

Melanie Waldman is more than a performer. She is a small business founder whose work is at the intersection of creativity and lived experience through social media, podcasts, and yoga. After her amputation and subsequent Ehlers-Danlos diagnosis, Melanie did not just adapt from a non-disabled actor to a disabled one — she redefined her identity, personally and professionally despite her prosthesis.

Her journey includes acting in film and background roles, establishing her own LLC, launching a podcast, and developing a unique approach to how we think of accessibility in the arts that challenges conventional narratives about disability.

Melanie has carved out a niche beyond traditional performance spaces as an adaptive yoga instructor to clients, using her platform to educate them about accessibility and inclusion. Her work blends her performance background with her advocacy, demonstrating how disability can be a source of strength and innovation rather than limitation.

“I’ve always wanted to be a performer, but I’ve also considered covering entertainment news & pop culture, as an anchor as well. It doesn’t even specifically be about disability. It’s about normalizing our experience and showing that we can be versatile professionals, in any industry.” — Melanie Waldman

Melanie’s vision is clear: dismantle the binary of “disabled” versus “able-bodied” roles, and replace it with a more expansive, inclusive definition of creativity.

Not Just Access, A Dazzle (DASL) of Meaning, Culture, and Form

John McGinty is a Deaf actor with performances on Broadway, national tours, and major productions. He is also a behind-the-scenes leader advancing authentic Deaf representation in the arts. He has been an advocate for the Director of Artistic Sign Language (DASL) role, which ensures that sign language and Deaf culture are thoughtfully and artistically integrated into a production. As one of the earliest adopters, John utilizes the DASL role to work alongside directors, not to override their vision, but to interpret it through the lens of Deaf culture. A DASL, who is Deaf and fluent in sign language, collaborates with the cast and creative team to make performances resonate authentically with Deaf audiences, enhancing storytelling while preserving artistic intent. Through this work, John ensures that sign language is not just included, but deeply embedded in the heart of the narrative.

In addition to his onstage work, John is founder of SignesGlobal, a Deaf-owned firm that embeds intersectional Deaf narratives into society, from small to large corporations. For the entertainment world, he trains hearing production teams in cultural competency and insists that inclusion be part of the entire process, not just the casting call.

He is a fierce advocate within industry organizations, pushing for union recognition of DASLs as a standard production role, akin to fight choreographers or dialect coaches. His goal? To ensure that accessibility is not an add-on, it is a built-in.

“We live in an audio centric world… there is this impetus to celebrate the achievement of including [a Deaf performer], just for them being there, but then they’re gone, and it doesn’t happen again until it’s spotlighted again in some revolutionary production 10 years later.” — John McGinty

Engineering an Accessible Entertainment Economy

Maria Porto, who is hard of hearing, is the founder of Access Broadway, Maria brings a systems-thinking approach to accessibility that combines design, software innovation, and cultural fluency.

Under Maria’s leadership, Access Broadway has completed audits of more than a dozen theater institutions, uncovering barriers not just in physical spaces but in ticketing systems, emergency protocols, staff training, and hiring practices. Act One Access, her proprietary captioning solution, is drawing industry-wide attention. Designed entirely by professionals with disabilities, it offers adaptive Universal Interface (UI) for different impairments, and is operable by users with mobility, vision, or cognitive differences.

Maria runs tailored training sessions for theater companies, including deep-dive workshops for crew, box office staff, producers, and casts. Her goal? “To make accessibility so embedded that people stop calling it ‘accessibility,’ it’s just how things are done.”

“I wanted ACCESS Broadway NY to be the one stop shop for accessibility, because, like, a lot of these companies don’t know where to turn to…I wanted this company to have a representative from every community.” — Maria Porto

For Maria, accessibility is not a sideline, it is a full-stack solution, backed by tech, talent, and strategic business thinking.

Designing for 360-Degree Inclusion

Alie B. Gorrie is an arts educator and actor with low vision due to optic nerve hypoplasia, Alie began as an actor navigating inaccessible rehearsal rooms. Today, she is a strategist behind accessibility programs for regional theaters, performing arts centers, and production companies across the U.S.

Her approach, which she calls “360-degree inclusion,” includes accessibility audits, policy reviews, and full-scope training programs for creative teams. In one case, she helped a midsize Southern theater triple its disabled audience attendance over two seasons by redesigning their front-of-house experience and overhauling their casting processes.

She is the force behind the documentary series Able, and regularly performs in roles where disability is neither central nor sidelined — simply part of the character’s identity.

“If you had to cast a vision for the future, what would it be? Once you have those conversations and you sit down and learn about different experiences, you’re never going to approach rehearsals, shows, or even restaurants the same way again.” — Alie B. Gorrie

Alie’s insight comes from lived experience, but her solutions are strategic, scalable, and refreshingly concrete. She’s building a playbook that others can follow.

From Solo Success to Collective Action

While performers continue to break ground through their individual work, they are forging systemic change through collective action.

Danny J. now includes accessibility requirements in his contract rider, a practical step experienced from too many inaccessible sets. He joins a broader movement, alongside many of those featured here, to embed accommodations into SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity agreements.

Organizations like Access Broadway, co-founded by Maria and Shane are pushing theater institutions to do more than retrofit. Their audits evaluate not only physical spaces, but also programming, employment practices, and digital touchpoints. They created “Disability 101” workshops for producers, crew, and venue staff — shifting the conversation from compliance to culture.

John is advocating for the recognition of DASLs, while Alie B. and Erin are building networks of mentorship, awareness, and public education — using everything from social media to in-person workshops to illuminate pathways for the next generation.

And across the board, there is a rallying cry — cast us not just when the story is about disability. Cast us when the story is about love, power, ambition, fear, and joy. Cast us when it is not about disability at all.

The Business Case for Accessibility

Accessibility is not just an ethical imperative, it is an economic advantage.

People with accessibility needs, their families, and allies represent a powerful and growing market. They are theatergoers, film fans, and cultural participants — and they are often excluded, not by content, but by logistics — broken assistive tech, poor signage, untrained staff.

Meanwhile, the digital world has raised the bar. With streaming services offering customizable captioning, voice-activated features, and adaptive interfaces, live venues now lag behind. Theaters and studios that fail to catch up risk losing more than ticket sales — they risk relevance.

And as Danny J. puts it, “You’re missing out on that whole sector of income.”

The Hardship of Performance: Physical and Cognitive Load

In my own observation, what these folks have shared is something that doesn’t get enough attention: the toll of participation.

For performers like Melanie, Danny, and Makenzie, there is physical pain — even with prosthetics, wheelchairs, or mobility aids. Performance, for them, is physically demanding.

For Alie, Maria, Erin, Shane, and John, those who are blind, low-vision, hard-of-hearing, or Deaf, the challenge is cognitive. Delay in processing visual or auditory cues through interpreters, captioning apps, or adaptive tech is mentally fatiguing. Our brains work harder to interpret, translate, and communicate in order to contribute and perform.

These are not abstract concerns. They affect performance, presence, and participation. And they are solvable, not by asking less of disabled professionals, yet by designing systems that ask more of the institutions.

From Representation to Reimagination

The performing arts should be the most inclusive industry — not the least. This is, after all, an industry about humanity.

And yet, here we are. Stories abound. Talent is abundant. Enormous opportunities on the horizon.

This moment calls for bold reimagining. What if accessibility were embedded from day one, not as a fix, but as a framework? What if we normalized presence instead of spotlighting difference? What if we moved from retrofits to red carpets, from barriers to belonging?

The professionals featured here are not asking to be included out of charity. They are showing what is possible when accessibility is seen as innovation — not limitation.

The responsibility does not rest solely with performers. It belongs to producers, funders, unions, educators, and decision-makers. The path is open if the industry chooses to walk it.

If this industry is to reflect its telling of the human experience, it must be built by and for everyone.

It is time to make room.