Maria Verdeille: Working on the UEFA Women's EURO with disabilities

The Ability Group In Sport (TAGS) introduces management committee member Maria Verdeille. Maria is a graduate from Channel 4’s Para Production trainee scheme and now works for Whisper as a researcher. Here, she writes a first-hand account of working on the Women’s European Football Championship this summer.

My Role

My title throughout the Women’s Euros was a researcher, however my responsibilities was spread out across the creative department. During the pre-tournament preparations, some of my responsibilities included researching the teams and players in the tournament to think of creative VT's we can produce, assisting with organising shoots (finding venues, sourcing props/ equipment, preparing content such as interview questions etc) and sourcing permission to use external footage as part of our coverage.

We filmed Media days with England at St George's Park and Northern Ireland in Belfast. On these shoots, my role involved gathering short-form content by interviewing the players that were used in a variety of features throughout the tournament, including "Meet The Team" that you can watch here.

I attended the opening titles shoot that featured six international players and singer Joy Crookes. My responsibilities for this was largely in the preparation for the filming, however by attending the shoot I was able to provide an extra pair of hands when needed. This experience allowed me to see first hand how a production of this size works in harmony to create the finished product.

During the tournament, I produced openers and features with an editor before the matches and I went to fan zones on match days to showcase the buzz the tournament was creating around the country. Because of this additional role, I received a credit of VT Producer.

How does my disability affect me professionally?

I have Cerebral Palsy and hearing loss in both ears, which requires me to wear hearing aids. Whilst I can walk unassisted and I do not need any adjustments to access buildings or venues, my Cerebral Palsy affects me in other ways. For example, I can be prone to falling over or tripping on uneven surfaces, my levels of concentration and memory can become affected, and I can fatigue quite quickly. Whilst these symptoms can be controlled to a certain extent, when you are working on a production that is fast paced and involves long shifts over numerous days, these symptoms become more common and noticeable to myself and my colleagues, especially if I am filming on site.

I often have to adapt what I can do within my job role due to my hearing loss. For example, if I am in a room with lots of background noise, I can struggle to hear what is being said. In an edit, it can be difficult to find music tracks due to not being able to hear lower tones and lyrics clearly. Whilst these are just a few of the scenarios that I often face, I always try to inform my colleagues to make sure that people are aware as soon as possible.

What disability support did I receive during the production?

?As I have been at Whisper since May 2021, they have a good understanding of the support I need from the company to assist me and ensure I can work to the best of my ability. Since I started in the industry, I have realised the importance of being honest with your line managers and the colleagues you work closest with about your disability and how it affects you. By being honest from the beginning, Whisper have been able to provide me with the support I need before a problem occurs.

For example, I was offered a hotel room and parking space for the duration of the tournament. This was to ensure I would not have to drive home after long days and could maximise my rest time during shifts. During the quieter days, I was offered reduced shift hours and days off to rest if I felt fatigued. In addition, transport was always provided when I was filming on site. All of these measures helped to ensure that I paced myself and prevented myself from fatiguing too early in the tournament both physically and mentally.

To assist with my hearing impairment, before or during an edit I would speak with both my Creative Lead Producer and Editor to discuss what music track to use and I would have a selection of music tracks as a backup.

What does the experience mean to me?

I have been very fortunate to have worked on a variety of productions such as the Tokyo and Beijing Paralympics. However, this tournament felt extra special.

From a professional point of view, this is the first production I worked on from the very beginning without any Covid restrictions and I was given the opportunity to get stuck into creating ideas and seeing them through to the finish. Personally, I felt like I had to step up in terms of my responsibilities and use the skills I have learned in previous productions and put them into practice.

As a big sports fan, it was great to work on a home tournament that saw record crowds and viewing figures for Women's football. It felt special knowing I was involved in producing the coverage and played a small part in sporting history.

TAGS is a group for disabled people working or wanting to work in sports media roles. If you want to become a member like Maria, please sign up here