Across the TV and film industries, writers with disabilities are heavily underrepresented. While an estimated 15% of the global population is disabled, these individuals only make up 1% of the creative workforce. When it comes to podcasting, though, there's a huge opportunity to shift the balance on representation. Thanks to a lower barrier to entry, podcasting has offered an alternate route for creators with disabilities to make their mark. But the rapidly growing and evolving nature of the podcasting industry means there's still a lot of need to invest in underrepresented artists. Until now, there haven't been any programs that support podcasters with disabilities who are working to break through.
Spotify is partnering with the Inevitable Foundation to launch Elevate for Podcasters, a program that empowers professional podcasters with disabilities with the funding, mentorship, equipment, and accommodations they need to level up their careers.
We want to create a world where disabled storytellers are able to create projects about anything they want, regardless of whether their stories contemplate disability, which is only one part of their complex identities, Richie Siegel and Marisa Torelli-Pedevska, the cofounders of Inevitable Foundation, told For the Record in a statement. For a community that has been shut out of so many creative industries for so long, the lower barriers of entry for podcasting create a fruitful starting point to make sizable gains when it comes to fostering the next generation of disabled podcasters and storytellers.
Those who are accepted into the program will receive a $10,000 grant, which can be used for:
Professional Development: Content-based professional development such as script consulting, and education and workshops on broader storytelling; technical professional development such as education on editing and mixing.
Accommodations: Expenses to make podcasts more accessible, including transcripts and other forms of access.
Equipment: Essential equipment for podcasting, editing, or work.
Show Marketing: Essential marketing expenses for a show, which includes ads, creative, and festival fees.
Living Expenses: To support the ongoing careers of disabled podcasters.
IP Licensing: To license IP to adapt into a fiction podcast.
Participants will also receive ongoing support through quarterly check-ins with the Inevitable Foundation team, as well as community-building events where members can expand their professional networks and meet other creatives with disabilities in podcasting, film, and television.
At Spotify, we're constantly looking for ways to amplify diverse and underestimated voices through the power of audio, says Dina Gabriel, Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Spotify. This partnership with the Inevitable Foundation offers a unique opportunity for us to utilize our platform to create pathways for creators with disabilities and provide them with tools and resources that will help them hone their craft and build their professional careers.
How to apply
So who is eligible for the Elevate for Podcasters program? For starters, applicants must meet the following requirements:
They self-identify as disabled.
They are 18 years of age or older.
They are currently pursuing a career in podcasting.
They are not enrolled in an accredited degree program.
In addition, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
They have an agent/manager for podcasting.
They have writing, directing, or producing credits on a fiction-genre audio project completely funded by a major audio platform or production company.
One of their audio projects has been acquired by a major studio, production company, or podcast network.
They've successfully crowdfunded $10,000 or more for one of their audio projects.
They've created their own fiction podcast that has received over 10,000 listens per episode on average over a 30-day period.
They've created and produced at least 30 fiction podcast episodes (can be across multiple shows).
They've had their show recognized by a mainstream or independent outlet (that has multiple writers) for news or criticism.
We're thrilled to launch this first-of-its-kind program as a way to raise the visibility of this talented group of artists. Those interested in Elevate for Podcasters can click this link and apply starting today. Winners will be selected starting in early 2023.
For more information, please visit https://inevitable.foundation/podcasters.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
Across the TV and film industries, writers with disabilities are heavily underrepresented. While an estimated 15% of the global population is disabled, these individuals only make up 1% of the creative workforce. When it comes to podcasting, though, there's a huge opportunity to shift the balance on representation. Thanks to a lower barrier to entry, podcasting has offered an alternate route for creators with disabilities to make their mark. But the rapidly growing and evolving nature of the podcasting industry means there's still a lot of need to invest in underrepresented artists. Until now, there haven't been any programs that support podcasters with disabilities who are working to break through.
