Man with Cerebral Palsy Launches Campaign to Make Creative Industries more Accessible

A man from London who has Cerebral Palsy, is hoping to raise awareness of the struggle sufferers face in finding employment in the creative media industry by streaming his DJ sets on social media.

Matt Kayne, aged 40, who is in a wheelchair, has been turned down repeatedly when trying to find work experience or a tour of a film/tv/radio station. He has a big passion for tv, film and music but he has found it really tough when trying to find opportunities or access to that industry.

In a bid to raise awareness of the issue, and get Matt on the radio to share his passion, one of his carers, Joshua Krygier, has given Matt DJ lessons in his own time and has filmed the DJ sets to share on social media in the hope it will raise awareness and challenge preconceptions about the condition.

Josh, who is a DJ himself, as well as the Managing Director of Rivendall Care and Support, who are the company providing Matt with ongoing support services, has been trying to help Matt explore his passion for music and has even set up a dedicated web page on the company website dedicated to the #GetMattOnRadio campaign.

Josh explains: “Because of his condition, Matt struggles with his motor skills and requires 24 hour care which can really get him down. I started to give him DJ lessons as something to lift his mood and it was genuinely transformational. You can see from the videos of the DJ sessions how much Matt enjoys being behind the decks, it gives him a purpose and something to look forward to.

“I have personally reached out to a number of film, tv and multimedia companies to get Matt through the door, but we haven’t been successful in securing Matt any opportunities. Whilst the severity of his conditions means he wouldn’t be able to work for a company as an employee, it would be great to get him access to at least experience that world first hand. There seems to be a real blocker there.”

Matt himself is an avid campaigner in the fight for equality for people with Cerebral Palsy, he is a big supporter of World CP Day and hopes the #GetMattOnRadio campaign will help to bring awareness and highlight the need for change so that media industries are inclusive to all.

Matt commented: “It feels like there is a barrier for people with Cerebral Palsy who want to work in creative media industries. I am not sure if it’s a lack of understanding and awareness about the condition or perhaps a bit of fear that the adjustments needed to make this kind of work more accessible to people will be too expensive and time consuming. However, that shouldn’t be a reason to exclude people like me from working in these industries.

“My dream is to show the world my DJ skills and talent. Due to my health condition and industry inequalities, I have been unable to professionally display my skills and experience within the media field. It’s vital for people of a minority to be represented in the media to inspire others.”

As well as dealing with the challenges of Cerebral Palsy, Matt has only been diagnosed with bladder cancer and is currently undergoing treatment.

Matt’s DJ sessions can be viewed on his social media channel and he asking for as many people as possible to support the campaign by following him on social media and helping to share his DJ sessions far and wide.