A six-month pre-employment, job-readiness, Career Exploration training + Career Incubator activities for job seekers with disabilities to explore + pursue media careers (in front of & behind the camera/keyboard), including:
- Television
- Movies and documentaries
- Advertising
- News
- Theatre
- Interactive, including social media and video games
LCA Objectives:
- Increase disability employment in media;
- Improve portrayals and shatter stereotypes; and
- Increase accessible media with open captions, audio descriptions, and ASL interpreters.
- Employment! Employment! Employment!
- In media + ADA Lead On Productions + internships + fellowships.
- Each LCA member is included in our LCA Disability Talent Database and LCA Gallery to increase their ”Living Portfolio”
- The database will also match Peer/Flash Mentors in all aspects of media
LCA itself offers internship experiences for participants with an honorarium, including:
- LCA Resume/Cover Letter Review - consultation for job-ready participants
- LCA Ambassador pilot program for LCA Alumni to explore “peer mentoring”
- LCA Production Team production-focused members capture/archive sessions
- LCA Marketing Team – for journalism, social media, and marketing training
- LCA Certificate of Completion created by/for LCA members
LCA Schedule:
The first three months of each cohort focus on Career Exploration.
The second three months of each cohort focus on Career Incubator.
Since the pandemic, LCA pivoted from a one-day Career Exploration event to a six-month virtual Career Exploration/Career Incubator Academy on Zoom on the second Tuesday of each month from 12 noon – 3 pm PT.
Starting in 2024, LCA cohorts will be convened from January 1 - June 30, 2024, and July 1 - December 31, 2024. During each six-month LCA cohort, we will include informational sessions with our collaborators from Easterseals Disability Film Challenge (March), ReelAbilities Film Festival New York (April), and ReelAbilities Film Festival Los Angeles (October).
Career Exploration Activities Months 1 – 3:
Career Exploration includes informational workshops and panels:
- Economic Empowerment/Financial Literacy – Working While Not Jeopardizing Disability Benefits
- Self-Identification: How to Leverage Your Disability to Sharpen Your Competitive Edge
- You are your Verbs: Showcasing Your Talent, Building Your Living Portfolio
- Networking: Expanding Your Professional Network
- How to Make it in the Media (for those who want to work at companies)
- Disability Narrative Imperative (for entrepreneurial filmmakers and storytellers).
Career Incubator Activities Months 4 – 6:
Career Incubator Activities and Master Classes:
- Disability Expression Challenge and Disability Expressionist Café
- Studio Workshop and Building Your Online Presence
- LCA Pitch Tank (composed of Industry judges and flash mentors who provide two 30-minute)
- mentoring sessions
- Master Classes (depending upon the composition of the cohort) Business, Starting Your Own Company, Writing, Marketing, Editing, etc.)