Media access in the Land of Many Shapes

Abstract This article looks at the uneven role that disabled and non-disabled people are currently playing in media accessibility. The starting point for the discussion is Jérôme Ruillier’s book Quatre Petits Coins de Rien du Tout (2004), which we have adapted into a short film called Four Little Corners in the Land of Many Shapes . The first part of the article analyses the original story to identify the ableism at play in how disabled people create, are represented in, and access audiovisual media. The second part of the article discusses different cases of disabled-led alternative access that have so far gone unnoticed in mainstream media access, with special attention to Remote Access and Crip Nightlife Events. Finally, the article also discusses work on access coordination being carried out in the UK and Spain, which creates a shared space for disabled and non-disabled people to nurture a different type of access.