DISABILITY AND THE MEDIA: PROMOTING AN IMAGE OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES BY THE MEDIA

  

ABSTRACT

This article intends to provide tips and hints as well as insight to the media on how to promote positive, inclusive images of persons with disabilities and stimulate a climate of non-discrimination and equal opportunity in all aspects of  society for persons with disabilities. It is intended for people working as editors, journalists, broadcasters, producers, programme makers and presenters. It is also relevant to people working as web editors, and content managers of social and interactive media platforms.


Keywords: Disability, Media, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).


INTRODUCTION

The media - television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, social media and other forms - play an important role in influencing public opinion and attitudes. The choice of words, images and messages can determine perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. It can also define what does or does not matter to individuals and the world around them (ILO, 2015).


How persons with disabilities are portrayed and the frequency with which they appear in the media has an enormous impact on how they are regarded in society. While there are some disability-specific media programmes, such as television documentaries,  persons with disabilities rarely appear as part of mainstream or inclusive programmes. When they do appear, they are often stigmatized or stereotyped, and may appear as either objects of pity or superheroic accomplishment and endurance. Including them in regular programmes on television and radio in addition to other types of media helps to provide fair and balanced representation and break down barriers to acceptance and create better understanding about persons with disabilities (ILO, 2015).


Portraying persons with disabilities with dignity and respect in the media can help and promote more inclusive and tolerant societies. Why is this important? First, because people with disabilities make up approximately 1 billion, or 15%, of the global population (WHO & World Bank, 2011). Second, as a group, they are often subject to discrimination or exclusion from basic services such as health, education, training and work opportunities. As a result, people with disabilities experience poorer health, lower educational achievements, and have fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. Third, in many countries, persons with disabilities often lack access to information about policies, laws and improvements in programmes and services that directly affect them. This knowledge gap perpetuates their exclusion from mainstream social, economic and political life (ILO, 2015).


Promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities requires the recognition of all people as full members of society and the respect of all their rights. Inclusion also involves ensuring the participation of people with disabilities in all basic services available to the general population and the removal of barriers – physical, attitudinal, legal, regulatory, policy, lack of information in accessible formats – that prevent them from fully participating in society. What is more, promoting equality of opportunities and access to services and information for persons with disabilities is also critical to strategies for reducing poverty, a shared objective of the international community (ILO, 2015).


DISABILITY

The term disability covers a wide range of different physical, psycho-social, sensory or intellectual impairments which may or may not affect a person’s ability to carry out their day to day activities, including their jobs. Persons with disabilities with disabilities work in all sectors of the economy and in all types of roles. Many have demonstrated that with the right opportunities and adjustment, where required, to a job or the work environment, they can make a valuable contribution to the world of work. 

Facts about persons with disabilities

  • One billion of the world’s population, or 15%, live with a disability.

  • Persons with disabilities are at a higher risk of poverty in every country, whether measured in traditional economic indicators relative to GDP or, more broadly, in non-monetary aspects of living standards such as education, health and living conditions. 

  • Women with disabilities are at greater risk of poverty than men with disabilities (Mitra et al., 2011). Their poverty is linked to their very limited opportunities for education and skills development. Approximately 785 million women and men with disabilities are of working age, but the majority do not work. When they do work, they earn less than people without disabilities but further gender disparities exist. Women with disabilities earn less than men with disabilities. 

  • According to an ILO pilot study of ten low- and middle-income developing countries, excluding people with disabilities from the labour force results in estimated GDP losses ranging from 3 and 7 per cent (Buckup, 2009).

  • People with disabilities are frequently excluded from education, vocational training and employment opportunities.

  • 51% of young boys with disabilities completed primary school, compared with 61% of young boys without disabilities, based on World Health Organization (WHO) surveys in more than fifty countries. In the same survey, girls with disabilities reported 42% primary school completion compared with 53% of girls without disabilities (WHO & World Bank, 2011).

  • Disability affects not only the person with a disability, but also their families. Many family members who provide primary care to another family member with a disability have often left work due to their caring responsibilities. What is more, carers and the families of people with disabilities usually experience a higher level of financial hardship than the general population (Inclusion International, 2007).


THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA

“Images and stories in the media can deeply influence public opinion and establish societal norms. Persons with disabilities are seldom covered in the media, and when they are featured, they are often negatively stereotyped and not appropriately represented. It is not uncommon to see persons with disabilities treated as objects of pity, charity or medical treatment that have to overcome a tragic and disabling condition or conversely, presented as superheroes who have accomplished great feats, so as to inspire the non-disabled”.


“The media can be a vital instrument in raising awareness, countering stigma and misinformation about PWDs. It can be a powerful force to change societal misconceptions and present persons with disabilities as individuals that are a part of human diversity. By increasing the awareness and understanding of disability issues and the diversity of persons with disabilities and their situations, the media can actively contribute to an effective and successful integration of persons with disabilities in all aspects of societal life.  Indeed, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires the States to raise awareness and combat stereotypes related to persons with disabilities, including by encouraging all media to portray persons with disabilities in a manner consistent with a respect for human rights”.


CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

“Attention should be drawn to the image of disability in the media with a view to an accurate and balanced portrayal of disability as a part of everyday life. The media can play an important role in presenting disability issues in a way that could dispel negative stereotypes and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, options should be developed on how to present persons with disabilities in various media and the importance of supporting the work of the United Nations to build a peaceful and inclusive society for all”.


“The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can work as a tool to enhance the work of the media in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as to promoting their access to education, employment, health and other areas of development on an equal basis with others”.


STORY IDEAS FOR DISABILITY

Journalists can help to shape a better understanding about persons with disabilities and in particular the overwhelming barriers they face with respect to health, education, employment and work, and access to the physical environment. People with disabilities can and want to contribute actively and participate in their community and society. Their full participation depends on the removal of these barriers (ILO, 2015).


A step in this direction begins with challenging the myths that people with disabilities are incapable and helpless. This requires replacing images that depict persons with disabilities as sad, passive and dependent with those showing them with dignity and pride, as capable and independent individuals who can contribute towards changes in all spheres of life (ILO, 2015).


The issues and topics below are intended to provide ideas for reporting stories on disability. They are also instrumental in the successful promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities and their full inclusion in society where they can achieve financial and economic independence (ILO, 2015).


Laws and Policies

Journalists can play an important role in promoting improvements in national policies and programmes and making information about vital services as it concerns disability available as widely as possible. In doing so, journalists help raise the visibility of a segment of the population that is largely ignored, while increasing awareness among persons with disabilities about services and opportunities. In addition, awareness of relevant laws and policies on disability, including key international Conventions and standards, provides a foundation for journalists to more effectively advocate for the protection of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.


Stop and Consider: Which laws and policies in your country help to promote opportunities for people with disabilities? How are these laws being enforced, or what strategies are in place to support their implementation? How aware of these laws are employers, trade unions, businesses, or representatives of civil society? These are some areas that you as a journalist may wish to explore in your reporting (ILO, 2015).


Public perception and Deep-rooted Beliefs

Stigma and discrimination are among the main barriers that keep a majority of persons with disabilities living in poverty, dependence and social exclusion. A human rights-based approach to disability regards limitations imposed on persons with disabilities by the social and the physical environments as violations of their basic human rights. However, these rights are often violated due to ignorance and lack of information. 


In some societies, viewing disability as a “curse” is not uncommon. Such deep-rooted beliefs, ignorance and fear influence the low expectations of people with disabilities and their families about their achievement, limiting their skills attainment and independence. The people that are skilled and able to perform certain types of jobs still face the same scepticism from potential employers. These factors contribute to people with disabilities living below the poverty level. 


The media has the power to dispel these deep-rooted beliefs and myths surrounding disability and persons with disabilities. They can also raise awareness among both persons with disabilities and the rest of the public about the rights of people with disabilities to work and employment.


Stop and Consider: How often are stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities addressed in mainstream or inclusive reporting? Do you include persons with disabilities in your reporting stories? Showing people with disabilities living in society, participating in every facet of life – at home, school, at work, shopping, relaxing with friends at a coffee bar, or simply being part of the population can help break down barriers and promote inclusion. How often do you showcase successful individuals with disabilities at work, as providers of services or as sources of information on various topics of concern to society? (ILO, 2015).


Accessibility

Good accessibility benefits everyone. Yet, without being able to access facilities and 

services found in the community – building, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, medical facilities and workplaces – persons with disabilities will never be fully included. Accessibility also extends to information and communication and includes such things as audio signals found at pedestrian crossings, presentation of information (e.g. Braille), signage for finding one’s way, among others. 


Stop and Consider: Is there existing legislation in your country to encourage or help promote independent living and a more accessible environment? Reporting stories offering examples of barriers present in the physical environment or good practice on accessibility are a key to promoting societies that include everyone (ILO, 2015).


Access to Education and Skills Development

Equal access to education, skills training and the workplace is a key factor in promoting the economic empowerment of people with disabilities and improving their living standards. It is also a fundamental principle of cohesive societies. Achieving broad access to mainstream or inclusive education and training and in using training to secure better opportunities for employment requires breaking down barriers that exclude people with disabilities.


Stop and Consider: What opportunities exist in your community for people with disabilities to take part in skills training alongside people without disabilities? Are there good examples of businesses or employers who have hired workers with disabilities to create an inclusive workplace? Or, consider a story in which an individual with a disability lacks access to basic services, taking into account such factors as their frustration and disappointment, and what happens to them as they grow older. Or, think about a feature story on a disabled jobseeker and how they go about finding work (ILO, 2015).


Women with Disabilities

People with disabilities face many obstacles in their struggle for equality. Although men and women are subject to discrimination because of their impairments, women are at a further disadvantage because of the combined discrimination based on sex and disability. They face significantly more difficulties - in both public and private spheres - in attaining access to adequate housing, health, education, vocational training and employment. They also experience inequality in hiring, promotion rates and equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, access to training and retraining, credit and other productive resources, and rarely participate in economic decision-making (O’Riley, A. 2007). 


Stop and Consider: Are there examples of women with disabilities in your community who serve as role models for other women and girls like them? Consider stories that show women with disabilities claiming their identities and standing up for their rights to work, to basic services (health, education) and fair treatment. Look for opportunities to showcase these women at work or in their community and allow them to talk about a range of topics - “double discrimination” based on sex and disability; what work means to them and their families; how they use the income generated from work, among other issues (ILO, 2015).


TIPS ON PROMOTING THE POSITIVE

PORTRAYAL OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

It is very important that both journalists and communications professionals connect disability issues with human dignity and rights. Here are some tips for promoting the positive portrayal of persons with disabilities:


Support the human rights-based approach: As noted previously, there has been a dramatic shift toward a human rights approach to persons with disabilities. This approach is linked to the social model in that it recognizes that a transformation within society is needed to ensure equality and justice for all. Human rights are the fundamental principles through which every individual can gain justice and equality. Ultimately, the human rights-based approach aims to empower persons with disabilities, and to ensure their active participation in social, economic, political and cultural life. Changes are needed in society to ensure this, starting by changing perceptions. 


Focus on the person, not the impairment: In describing a person with a disability, focus on the individual and not on their particular functional or physical limitations. For example, say people with disabilities instead of the disabled. Given editorial pressure to save space or accommodate design layouts, it is not always possible to put people first. However, always strive to keep your portrayal positive and accurate: for example, a wheelchair/crutches user or person with mobility impairment instead of crippled, a person with hearing impairment instead of deaf, a person with visual impairment instead of blind person. These are terminologies for use of respectful language when referring to people with disabilities.


Emphasize ability, not the disability (unless it is critical to the story): For example, Mr. Jones uses a wheelchair, walks with crutches instead of Mr. Jones is wheelchair-bound, is differently-abled. Avoid emotional words such as “unfortunate”, “pitiful”. Avoid sad music or melodramatic introductions when reporting on disability. Never refer to individuals with disabilities as the disabled.


Show persons with disabilities as active in society: Portraying people with disabilities as active members of society and not as passive and dependent helps to break down barriers and opens up opportunities. 


Allow people with disabilities to speak for themselves: Experience shows that when a person with disability speaks with confidence and authority about a particular situation, non-disabled audiences are more likely to believe that people with disabilities are knowledgeable.


Don’t overemphasize disabled ‘heroes’: Even though the public may admire ‘superheroes’, portraying people with disabilities as superstars raises unrealistic expectations that all people with disabilities should achieve this level (ILO, 2015).


RECOMMENDATIONS 

What can the media do to support reporting on disability and promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in all spheres of society? Here are some recommendations:

  • Raise awareness of the challenges facing people with disabilities and issues surrounding disability, and factors that contribute to the exclusion and stigmatization of people with disabilities.

  • Bring discussion of disability into the public arena to challenge the idea of it as a taboo subject.

  • Feature examples of people with disabilities as providers of expertise, services, assistance and as contributors of financial support to their families and communities. 

  • Promote the message that people with disabilities are present in every community across the globe. They have the same range of emotions, interests, talents, skills and behaviour as the rest of the population and should be portrayed as having the same complexity of personality and experience as other people of similar age and situation (ILO, 2015).


REFERENCES

Buckup, S. (2009). The price of exclusion: The economic consequences of excluding people with disabilities from the world of work, Employment Working Paper No. 43, International Labour Organization, Geneva.


Inclusion International (2007). “The Human Rights of Adults with Learning Disabilities”, Report submitted to The Joint Committee on Human Rights Committee Office, House of Commons, 24 May 2007, p. 2.


International Labour Organization (ILO) (2012). Social Protection Floors Recommendation, No. 202. International Labour Office, Geneva, http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO:12100:P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:3065524:NO. [accessed on 20.04.15].


International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2015). Reporting on Disability: Guidelines for the Media. Geneva: ILO press.


Mitra et al. (2011). Disability and Poverty in Developing Countries: A snapshot from the World Health Survey. SP Discussion Paper, World Bank.


O’Riley, A. (2007). The right to decent work of persons with disabilities, International Labour Organization, Geneva.


WHO and World Bank (2011). World Report on Disability, WHO Press, Geneva.






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