This Canadian media company has made it its mission to put the disability community front and centre.
The media plays an integral role in the lives of many Canadians, and everyone deserves to feel represented in what they consume. For Canada’s disability community, their unique needs make traditional consumption of media challenging. From those who are blind or partially sighted, Deaf or hard of hearing, to those with disabilities who simply don’t often see themselves represented in traditional content, an outlet that caters to these needs but also showcases content featuring their unique stories is critical. It’s a role AMI (Accessible Media Inc.) has held since 1992.
“At our core, we exist to make media truly accessible for people with disabilities,” explains Cara Nye, Director of Content Development and Production for AMI-tv. “We focus on creating original programming by and for people with disabilities.”
Media with accessibility at its core
As a broadcaster, AMI operates three unique broadcast services as part of Canadian basic cable packages: AMI-audio, AMI-tv and AMI-télé (French television), and free streaming platform AMI+. Each platform offers their own content catering to the disability community.
The original channel, AMI-audio, has evolved since its launch in 1992. What started out as a simple way to make print media accessible to Canadians who are blind and partially sighted has grown to include a number of specialized programs and podcasts: “It’s all talk, but it’s not talk radio,” explains Andy Frank, Manager of AMI-audio. “There’s a gentle vibe to our programs that we take a lot of pride in.”
Double Tap, for example, helps educate listeners on technologies that are making life more accessible for people with disabilities while Reflections offers audio documentaries created by people who identify as having a disability, reflecting their experience and how they interact with the world.
More than just traditional content
AMI-tv is a country-wide television channel featuring inclusive and entertaining storytelling to an English-speaking audience, while AMI-télé offers the same for a French audience. AMI-tv and AMI-télé focus on creating programming that both entertains and informs the disability community but also raises awareness about accessibility and inclusion, encouraging the positive portrayal of people with disabilities.
“We’re making sure that accessibility and representation aren’t afterthoughts, but a key part of how stories are told,” says Cara.
For AMI-tv, producers are either members of the disability community themselves or involved in the creation of the shows, particularly when guiding the narrative. For example, during season one of sketch series The Squeaky Wheel: Canada, 100 per cent of the creative team identified as disabled while 100 per cent of the narrative was supervised by the disability community.
“We’re making media accessible and inclusive for everyone and giving people with disabilities a platform,” Cara says.
While the original focus on docu-series content remains important, recently AMI-tv has focused on launching more scripted series like Pretty Blind, a comedy that follows a character navigating life with partial sight.
The future is digital
AMI has built a name for itself not just with the disabled community but across Canada as a leading network: “We are unique in the world,” says John Melville, Vice President of Content Development and Operations. “There’s no service like AMI anywhere else.”
New offerings, like the streaming platform AMI+, allow Canadians to access AMI content anywhere and the team is eyeing digital platforms like YouTube as a way to share customized content while reaching new, younger audiences.
“We’re a content company, not just a broadcaster,” John says. “We want quality over quantity and to create content that travels well within Canada and abroad.”
Stream AMI’s content on demand at amiplus.ca.
