Is called Irene Sotohas Down syndrome and will present this end of the year the Chimes further Understood of the televisionbut this is not the only example in which the small screen has shown its great commitment to disability. Without going any further, the Christmas spaceTelepassion‘ of RTVE for the first time he had the disabled presenters of the chain.
Telemadrid will enter the new year from Gate of the Sun from Madrid with a special program ‘Ding Dong: Happy 2026‘. It will be presented by Irene Sotoparticipant in the reality TV show ‘El Camping’ and employee at the reception of a school, and will start at 11:30 p.m. on December 31. The program will mark an important milestone in Spanish regional television.
Next to Poty Castle And Monica Martinez, Irene Sotothe young woman with Down syndromewill assume this responsibility on behalf of his colleagues in the program’The Campsite‘, which has six participants with this condition.
The Madrid channel thus reinforces “its commitment to social consciousnesspromoting the inclusion and the diversity” on a date as important as the last day of the year, as highlighted in a press release. This decision “aims to standardize the presence of people with disabilities at key moments in television programs”.
Underrepresentation
Telemadrid’s decision comes in a context where the representation of people with disability In television remains extremely rare. According to a UNESCO study, only 1% of people who appear in television and cinema presents a certain kind of disabilitya figure that highlights the urgent need for changes in media discourse.
This lack of representation adequate impact not only on public perception, but also on employment opportunities of audiovisual sector. Many professionals with disability They face significant barriers to entering and thriving in the industry, limiting the diversity of voices and stories on screen.
Over the years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of including authentic representations and various people with disability in the media. Programs like ‘We too‘ of RTVEthe first produced entirely by people with intellectual disabilities, or “100% Unique” by Mediaset, with 30 journalists with intellectual disabilities, seeks to normalize and make visible the experiences of this group. In addition, these formats offer a platform where people with disability can say theirs stories without intermediaries.
Presenters with disabilities
In the same way, Patty Bonet And Enrique Garcia They joined like presenters of ‘ONCE shoot‘the 1st RTVE since September 2024, alternating with veteran Laura Ferrer in an example of real inclusion.
Bonet She is an actress and journalist with albinism And visual impairmentaffiliated with ONCE since childhood, while Enrique García is a computer engineer physically disabled from birth and responsible for the accessible video game project Ga11y of the ONCE Foundation.
Small steps towards standardization
Patty Bonet emphasized that being part of this year’s competition Telepassionthe Christmas special of FTE who was the leader of audience on Christmas Eve, represented “a very important step” towards standardization. “They are taking small steps, but they are still small and they are not enough. The next step would be a few informative or any other type of entertainment program that would have disabled presenters” he said in an interview.
For her part, the actress and journalist from albinism He explained that before introducing the ONCE raffles, people on the street commented, “Look what a white girl.” Instead, he now hears: “Hello, daughter of the TVthat of lotterythe one published in La Revuelta’. “Now they associate me with a occupation and not to one disability“, said Bonet, who considers that this visibility directly contributes to social normalization.
“The fact that there was more presence presentersof disabled actors In television, series And movie theater would result in a standardization on the part of society”, estimated the presenter. Furthermore, Bonet added that “there is a lot to do, but we are gradually opening the way and have the hope to access spaces which, of course, belong to us, but often, out of sheer ignorance or fear, they still do not dare to conquer.
For her part, Inés Rodríguez, speech therapist from Tenerife and influencer with cerebral palsy very popular in social networkscollaborates in ‘The intermediary” de laSexta, bringing her unique perspective and making disability visible with humorous and informative content.
In addition, Patty Bonet positively appreciated the fact that private channels integrate collaborators as Agnes with disabilityeven if he considers that “it would be a very important step for Spanish television would dare to do the same thing” in informative programs or general entertainment. This is why the presenter believes that public television has a special responsibility to drive these changes towards greater inclusion and authentic representation.
In this sense, RTVE is committed to developing a specific plan which addresses the standardization And inclusion people with disabilities in its programming, with particular emphasis on the creation of relevant content and accessible for the audience diverse network of chains. Furthermore, the public company participated in conferences on diversity and equity, highlighting its commitment to inclusion in the media and setting concrete goals for the years to come.
Other inclusion initiatives
On the other hand, Antenna 3 stood out by being the first television of the world in code integration QR codes accessible by NaviLens in its information services, technology that makes it easier for people affected visual impairment can access important information simply and efficiently.
There is also Planeta Fácil TV, a program created by Plena inclusion and Servimedia with the support of Fundación ONCE, which offers accessible content particularly intended for people suffering intellectual disabilitypresenting news, reports And literary texts in an understandable way.
Are initiatives Not only do they contribute to making visible the needs of people with disabilitybut they also favor a culture respect and understanding in society. Working for greater inclusion It is essential not only for people with disabilities, but also to enrich the content and experience of the audience in general, ensure that everyone has access to information and to entertainment under equal conditions.
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