rad Scotland – Interview

During his rad Scotland traineeship, Ash worked as an Edit Assistant Trainee for Firecrest Films.

The traineeship helped me realise that people will accommodate my disabilities. That was a huge worry when starting out – wondering if people would support me or only see my conditions. The consistency of being in the same placement helped too, especially for routine and learning workflows. People knew me, knew my disabilities, and I knew what they needed from me.

I was treated like everyone else, just with the adjustments I needed to do my work. At one point, an editor even forgot I was a trainee because I was performing so well. I couldn’t have done that without the traineeship and the access support.

There are still preconceived notions about disability in TV, so having a place where access is taken seriously is important. And if someone’s access isn’t being met, [the rad trainees] have TRC to go to.

The training sessions also helped me understand other roles and perspectives. With autism, I can get stuck in my own head, so learning why other roles panic or what they need to consider was really helpful. It also helped others understand post‑production.

The soft‑skills sessions – emotional resilience, networking, finances, personal brand – were incredibly valuable. So much of this is assumed knowledge in TV, but it’s not common sense. Having it explained helps people advocate for themselves and navigate the industry.

Yeah, definitely. It’s made me realise I’m a post‑person. Edit assistant work is great for routine – I love a routine. You’re working on different shows, but the processes are similar, and it’s very technical. You deal with people, but mostly you deal with computer problems rather than people problems, which is great.

I also like the TV environment. Sure, it’s high pressure, but it’s also welcoming. Postproduction works really well for my accessibility needs – hybrid working, sitting down, direct communication, having processes in place. It suits the way autism affects me.

Absolutely. Having TRC support your access requirements is hugely beneficial. They created the access passport template for me – all I had to do was fill it out. I could ask for more help later, and they could suggest things too. It didn’t just help with access; it gave me information I wouldn’t have had otherwise – soft skills, understanding other roles, being prepared for meetings, knowing what to do when something goes wrong.

I was also heavily supported by the other trainees, even those without disabilities. They helped me when I was panicking during training sessions, explained things in different ways, especially production stuff I didn’t quite get. Their perspective really helped.

It’s not just the organisation or the placement or the training sessions – it’s the people around you.

There are so many ways accessibility benefits everyone – keeping track of things, making sure everyone’s on the same page, creating open space for questions, encouraging new ideas. It can even save productions money by managing things more effectively.

If you improve accessibility, you improve things for everyone.