Entertainment
EXCLUSIVE: Disability Belongs, a national disability-led nonprofit known for creating systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, has announced a new virtual cohort of participants for its 2026 Entertainment Lab.
In its eighth year, the Lab has become a growing pipeline for disabled talent. The cohort — which includes writers, directors, producers, and those working in physical production — will engage in interactive presentations, roundtables, and skill-building workshops with top executives and talent from major studios, networks, and production companies.
The 2026 participants are Aaron Potter, Allison White, Analesa Fisher, Brian Cohen, Brianna Naderpour, Clare Cooney, Corey Allen Evans, Dashiell Meier, Fionntán Price, Frances Rubio, Greg Jeffs, Jessiline Berry, Karen Jeynes, Kryzz Gautier, Lamont Lamar, Madeleine Shelley, Mary Pat Bentel, Matthew Yeungong Hua, Megan Metzger, Nathan Willis, Peter Soby, Serena Dykman, Shani A. Moore, Simone Brazzini, and Sophie Ostrove.
The cohort includes 10 writer/directors, six TV writers, four screenwriters, three documentary filmmakers, one producer and one music composer. The Fellows are based in Los Angeles, New York City, and 11 additional cities across North America, as well as Cape Town, South Africa.
“As someone who started in this business with no contacts, I’m passionate about helping others break in,” Nathan Varni, Executive Director of Current Programming at ABC Entertainment Group and Disability Belongs Board member, said in a statement on Friday. “This Lab is cultivating the next wave of talented writers, producers, and directors who are reshaping Hollywood.”
Launched in 2019, the Entertainment Lab is one of several pipeline programs offered by Disability Belongs for disabled entertainment professionals. The 2026 Disability Belongs Lab, which runs from May to September, is supported in part by Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Alumni of the program have gone on to work with major studios and platforms, including Disney, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, premiering projects at major festivals such as SXSW, and participating in professional development programs, including those offered by the Sundance Institute.
“Being an alumna of various Disability Belongs programs in the Lab back in 2020, and after that, when I started working with them as a fellow, was really my first start in consultation work in the entertainment industry,” Ava X. Rigelhaupt, a program alumna, said in a statement. “I learned from really some of the best people, like Lauren Appelbaum and my cohort at that time, on how to work with studios of various sizes—from indie studios to Disney—how to give notes, listen to their needs, and provide solutions to these different projects. I also learned how to negotiate and push back, emphasizing not just your perspective of why you would like this change, but also that there are always nuances and people who agree and disagree, research, and the disability community’s need for true inclusion and representation. I learned how to advocate for that with different people, understanding what various people need and how you might be able to weave in some great stories.”
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Katie Campione