Seven participants across four projects selected for scripted comedy/drama and kids streams, plus a participant for the new podcast stream
Unscripted stream sees the CBC Gem release of documentary Under The Arbor, new short documentary Chasing One Million headed into development, and the continuation of Composer Brain from the CBC Creator Network
CBC today announced the participants of the third year of AccessCBC: A CBC Initiative for Creators with a Disability, a national program that provides pre-development training, mentorship and financing support for Deaf and disabled creators. Seven participants across four projects have been selected for the scripted comedy/drama and kids streams and, new this year, one participant selected for the podcast stream.
For the third iteration of AccessCBC, CBC continues to collaborate with the Disability Screen Office (DSO), a national not-for-profit organization that works with the Canadian screen industry to eliminate accessibility barriers and foster authentic and meaningful disability representation throughout the sector. Award-winning writer and performer Ophira Calof is also a consultant on the third year of AccessCBC. Calof is a recognized leader and champion for accessible storytelling and project curation.
*Access participant photos and read their bios*
The two scripted projects are:
- Comedy:
- Socialized Medicine - C.J. Wilkins (he/him, Kelowna, BC)
After a freak accident lands him in public physical rehab, an affable yet shrewd PR executive is thrown into a world of strangers who must continually rally for their care in unexpected ways against an absurdly run system and their own broken bodies.
- Drama:
- North Beautiful - Landon Ramirez (he/him, Vancouver) and Natalie Remplakowski (she/her, Toronto)
In a tough prairie town, four teenagers find freedom and connection through their punk band, but their personal demons and harsh realities threaten their big break.
The two kids projects are:
- How To Be - Sophia Kolinas (she/her, Toronto) and Brendan McMurty-Howlett (he/him, Toronto)
What do you do when your best friend’s a bear who dreams of experiencing life as a human? You take him to school with you…undercover. It’s messy mishaps and adventure for Maya and Barrie, who brave new experiences together with whimsy, heart, and a nifty disguise. For Ages 4-6
- Bora and the Big World - Sarah Goodman (she/her, Toronto) and John Hazlett (he/him, Toronto)
Join in on the adventures of Bora, a loving and inquisitive seven-year-old boy with Down syndrome, and his family, as they go through the ups and downs of being a family with special needs. For Ages 4-6
The successful candidate in the new podcast stream of AccessCBC is Brock Richardson (he/him, Kitchener), who has been selected to work on the CBC podcast Sickboy, with an opportunity to hone his audio production skills and help create new episodes of the series.
The participants of the kids and scripted streams are currently attending development workshops led by industry experts, and working with CBC creative executives to gain practical experience writing pitch documents and receive individualized feedback and coaching. The scripted program is facilitated by Sarah Quan, Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy; Greig Dymond, Director of Development, Comedy; Zach Marcovici, Executive in Charge of Development, Drama; and Lea Marin, Director of Development, Drama. The kids program is facilitated by Swin Chang and Lisa Cinelli, Executives in Charge of Production, Children’s Content; Shamhan Bhuiyan, Manager of Content & Development, CBC Kids; and Marie McCann, Senior Director, Children’s Content, CBC Kids.
As part of the unscripted stream, two projects from creators and filmmakers working with the CBC Creator Network will be available on their respective platforms of CBC Gem and YouTube, while one project enters an initial phase of development.
- Under The Arbor, co-written and produced by Mackenzie Stannard (he/him, Vancouver)
Working in collaboration with Sheila Peacock, Executive in Charge of Independent Productions for BC and Alberta, this documentary, co-written and directed by Hayley Morin (she/her, Enoch Cree Nation, Alberta) takes viewers on an intimate and joyful journey through the heart of the Powwow trail, told by the dancers, singers, and families who live it. Filmed over one summer across Treaty 6 territory in Alberta, the film follows a cast of compelling characters as they prepare for, compete in, and reflect on the Powwow season. Streaming now on CBC Gem
- Composer Brain by James Lowrie (he/him, Toronto), a short-form series, continues this year in collaboration with CBC Music Producer Jesse Kinos-Goodin. In each episode, James pulls back the curtain on a different modern pop song and shines a light on the music theory that makes it so effective. Released regularly, you can check out the latest episode on CBC Music’s Instagram account and on the AccessCBC Playlist on YouTube.
- Chasing One Million by Cassie De Colling, is entering an initial phase of development championed by Lucius Dechausay, Executive in Charge of Production, Short Docs. Chasing One Million is a bold, first-person documentary that follows award-winning filmmaker Cassie De Colling as she attempts to transform herself from burned-out filmmaker to influencer. With nothing to lose, Cassie launches a wild social experiment to see how hard it is to build a following, get paid, and maybe even find herself along the way.
The third iteration of AccessCBC launched in May 2025 and submissions were open to producers and writers who self-identify as having a disability and are not employed by CBC. The AccessCBC program is overseen by Sarah Duda, Content Accessibility Lead, Business & Rights and Audreanna Lartey, Project Lead, Industry Information Sharing. For eligibility purposes, AccessCBC follows the Accessible Canada Act’s definition of a disability: any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society. Read more about the program.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
About the Disability Screen Office
The Disability Screen Office (DSO) is a national, bilingual, disability-led not-for-profit organization whose mission is to develop opportunities for disabled creatives and advocate for a more accessible Canadian screen industry. Through our partnerships and programs, we’re setting a new national standard for inclusive screen-based storytelling.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Astoria Luzzi, CBC PR
