Is TV Somewhere You Can Work If You Have A Disability?

The former captain of Glasgow’s wheelchair basketball team, Martin began his career as a presenter in 2012 after he was chosen to be a commentator for Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage. He joined BBC Newsround the following year, where he has become a firm favourite. Martin loves sport and travelling. He recently travelled to Fiji to report on climate change for a Newsround special and this will be airing later this month. He will host the panel Q&A.

Julie Shaw became part of the BBC Daytime and Early Peak commissioning team in March 2017, developing many new and established brands and overseeing their move into Peak.  She has been the commissioning editor of long-running series like Great British Menu, Escape to the Country, The Sheriffs Are Coming and Fake Britain. Before joining the BBC, Julie worked as a series producer/showrunner in current affairs and daytime programming, covering both studio, outside broadcasts and pre-recorded programmes.  She works to champion on and off-screen representation of under-represented groups.

Jay started in television in Birmingham in 2001. Over the past16 years he worked his way up from an assistant, working for various production companies in the city, including Maverick Television, North One Television and the BBC. He became an Online Editor in 2014 and went freelance in 2016. Since then he has worked on popular shows like Snackmasters, Great British Menu and Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys. He is currently working on Escape to the Country at Boundless West in High Wycombe.

Corie began her broadcasting career in local radio, moving to the BBC as a Continuity  Announcer in 1998.  She joined Channel 4 in 2001 and over time has become an ardent champion for change around Inclusion and Diversity.  Corie is a founding member and co-Chair of 4Purple, Channel 4’s disability ERG and is named on the Powerlist 100 2019 as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK.

In his role at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Doug looks after shows as diverse as Looking for a Unicorn, Endangered with Ellen DeGeneres (Discovery Network), Secrets of Skin (BBC 4) and the 10 part series Animal Impossible. He is the former head of the NHU’s development department, creating numerous high-profile series including the BAFTA winning Big Blue Live, Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur and helping develop the multi award-winning Blue Planet II and Seven Worlds, One Planet. He recently deployed the NHU’s