![]() One question will focus on confirming more specific conditions and communities the applicant identifies with, such as being neurodiverse or having physical or intellectual disabilities. We’re not working on the medical model, so we are never checking records,” Siegel says.Īpplicants will, however, fill out a form answering whether they generally identify as having a disability, along with other identity-based questions. Applicants also do not have to disclose their disability or medical history publicly. “Knowing that the last strike was over three months,” he adds, “we’re looking at total wipe-out scenarios.”ĭescribed by Siegel as hardship funding, the money can be used by grantees in any way they see fit and is non-taxable, though the foundation encourages writers to check with an accountant or tax professional after receiving the funds. ![]() “And when we did the research, the most crystallizing and frankly challenging stat to read was that 43 percent of disabled writers have less than three months of savings, 67 percent have less than six months.” “We weren’t aware of any other research that has been done about the implications of a strike and, specifically, on this population, which we think it will hit harder than most,” the Inevitable co-founder tells THR about the survey, released ahead of the strike. The survey found that 45 percent of disabled respondents already have more than $50,000 in debt. That report, Siegel says, is ultimately why the foundation chose to disperse grants and not loans. The Emergency Relief Fund’s launch follows Inevitable’s recent writers strike report, which surveyed more than 30 scribes with various disabilities about the potential impacts of the work stoppage on their finances and careers. Non-WGA members who were working as of May 1 will take next priority, and finally non-union writers on the verge of securing work. They will be followed by union members who were on the verge of securing work - final interviews, in negotiations or in the contracts stage - and then WGA members not employed or on the verge of securing employment as of the work stoppage. WGA members working as of May 1 and who demonstrate financial need according to Inevitable’s assessment will be considered first. Grant eligibility is based on several factors, with priority going to union members. However, there is potential for both new writers and first round recipients to apply in the future, as well as for the grant amounts to grow in later rounds dependent on the duration of the strike, which began May 2. The fund will last an undetermined period of time with grants presently one-time only. The Emergency Relief Fund will not only offer support to an already historically vulnerable community facing lost wages and an impending loss of healthcare, but act as a backstop for creatives, ensuring they aren’t forced to leave the industry because they are unable to pay their bills. ![]() The hope is that we can continue to be responsive in meaningful ways to a large group of the disabled writers in this community that are most affected by this crisis that is, hopefully, resolved soon.” ![]() “But we don’t necessarily want to be doing this for the foreseeable future. “We’re stepping into an emergency situation and a crisis for this workforce that is unfortunately at a large disadvantage in terms of money, survival, housing and healthcare,” Inevitable co-founder Richer Siegel tells The Hollywood Reporter. (The foundation, which currently has tens of thousands of dollars ready to distribute, estimates that there are at least 100 mid and upper-level writers currently working in Hollywood.) population that identifies as a person with a disability - a community that is twice as likely to live in poverty and has a 28 percent higher cost of living average than non-disabled people. The relief fund will provide individual support for the industry’s disabled scribes who are among the 25 percent of the U.S. For Actors Podcasting During a Strike, Speaking Out of Turn Is the Big Concernįor the nonprofit, which does not have a formal relationship with the WGA, the fund serves as a way to remain “responsive to the negative impacts of a strike on the careers of disabled writers both inside and outside the union since non-union writers are also impacted and face work stoppages,” the foundation said in a statement. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |