Lead On, Courageously.

TV Writer & Producer Katherine Beattie ’08 Advocates for Disability Representation in Media

By Texas Christian University

December 12^th, 2023

Though Katherine Beattie ’08 never set out to be a disability advocate, she has fully embraced the role. As a wheelchair user who has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, a disorder that makes walking difficult, Beattie has combined her lived experience with a passion for storytelling to increase disability representation on TV screens across the country for almost 15 years.

After earning a degree in radio, television and digital media from TCU, Beattie rose through the Hollywood ranks from script coordinator to executive producer for award-winning shows like “Californication” and “NCIS: New Orleans.” She has received prominent industry awards, including the Evan Somers Memorial Award from the Writers Guild of America West and a Media Access Award, for her work to advance accurate portrayals of and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Amplifying her efforts, Beattie is a member of the Disabled Writers Committee at the Writers Guild of America and the Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity, groups that work to better reflect and honor real world diversity in entertainment.

Beyond her profession, Beattie is a fearless athlete who competes in wheelchair motocross and para surfing. Undeterred by circumstance, Beattie became the first woman to land a backflip using a wheelchair in 2016.

From shining a spotlight on underrepresented groups to riding the ramps and waves in Southern California, Beattie defies stereotypes and demonstrates what it means to Lead On.

“When Katherine went out and pursued [writing], it wasn’t just a matter of saying, ‘I’m going to follow my dream.’ She pursued a path.”

A STORY WORTH TELLING

Since 1873, TCU has empowered leaders to act with integrity and to serve with compassion for the greater good.

To celebrate the university’s 150th anniversary, TCU recognized alumni leaders and their impact through a series of murals around the country. Beattie’s mural debuted in February 2023 along Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood Blvd.

Other Lead On murals include:

New York City — John Devereaux ’12
Nashville — Desmond Bane ’20
Chicago — Health care leaders
Fort Worth

Katherine Beattie’s mural at Hollywood Blvd. and N. Gower St., near the historic Fonda Theatre in L.A.

The L.A. Celebration

Area alumni and TCU leaders gathered in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, to celebrate Beattie as part of TCU’s 150th events.

SCRIPTING HER JOURNEY

Beattie’s path to the entertainment industry started at TCU, where she experienced hands-on learning and connected with faculty mentors. She shares more about her evolution from Horned Frog to Hollywood producer in the fall 2022 issue of TCU Magazine.