Disability in the media
Encyclopedia
The depiction of disability in the media plays a major role in forming public perception of disability
. Perceptions created by the media
informs the way people with disabilities are treated in society. "The media have been cited as a key site for the reinforcement of negative images and ideas in regard to people with disabilities."
In response, there have been increasing examples worldwide of people with disabilities pursuing their own media projects, such as film series
centered on disability issues, radio programs and podcast
s designed around and marketed towards those with disabilities, and so on. This is seen by many disability rights activists as a way to, as some in these circles term it, "piss on pity
".
and heroism.
Disability advocates often call this type of societal situation the "pity/heroism trap" or "pity/heroism dichotomy" and call instead for its supporters to "Piss On Pity
" and push forward with inclusion
instead.
When reports are about the "plight of the disabled" they rely on the pity or medical model of disability
. Telethons are an example of this, such as the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
which has been heavily criticised and sometimes even physically protested by disability rights advocates.
Negative day-to-day reporting may occur chiefly by depicting a given person or people with a disability as a burden or drain on society.
The "super-crip" model, in which subjects are portrayed as heroically overcoming their afflictions, is also often used when reporting on sport
.
The social model
tends to be used for reporting on the activities of disability rights activists if the report is positive.
, and a show presented in sign language
on SABC television in South Africa
, Dtvhttp://deaftv.co.za, are examples of programming produced for, and usually also by, disabled people.
Radio reading service
s are radio stations that broadcast readings from newspapers, magazines and books to mainly blind or partially sighted audiences.
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
. Perceptions created by the media
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
informs the way people with disabilities are treated in society. "The media have been cited as a key site for the reinforcement of negative images and ideas in regard to people with disabilities."
In response, there have been increasing examples worldwide of people with disabilities pursuing their own media projects, such as film series
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
centered on disability issues, radio programs and podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s designed around and marketed towards those with disabilities, and so on. This is seen by many disability rights activists as a way to, as some in these circles term it, "piss on pity
Piss On Pity
Piss On Pity is a rallying cry for those in the disability-inclusive circles of world politics. According to its proponents, the implication of the slogan is that Pity, while seeming to be a positive, helpful emotion, actually is derogatory...
".
Common depictions
The media generally depict people with disabilities according to common stereotypes such as pityPity
Pity originally means feeling for others, particularly feelings of sadness or sorrow, and was once used in a comparable sense to the more modern words "sympathy" and "empathy"...
and heroism.
Disability advocates often call this type of societal situation the "pity/heroism trap" or "pity/heroism dichotomy" and call instead for its supporters to "Piss On Pity
Piss On Pity
Piss On Pity is a rallying cry for those in the disability-inclusive circles of world politics. According to its proponents, the implication of the slogan is that Pity, while seeming to be a positive, helpful emotion, actually is derogatory...
" and push forward with inclusion
Inclusion (disability rights)
Inclusion is a term used by people with disabilities and other disability rights advocates for the idea that all people should freely, openly and without pity accommodate any person with a disability without restrictions or limitations of any kind...
instead.
When reports are about the "plight of the disabled" they rely on the pity or medical model of disability
Medical model of disability
The medical model of disability is a sociopolitical model by which illness or disability, being the result of a physical condition, and which is intrinsic to the individual , may reduce the individual's quality of life, and causes clear disadvantages to the individual.It is today specifically...
. Telethons are an example of this, such as the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
which has been heavily criticised and sometimes even physically protested by disability rights advocates.
Negative day-to-day reporting may occur chiefly by depicting a given person or people with a disability as a burden or drain on society.
The "super-crip" model, in which subjects are portrayed as heroically overcoming their afflictions, is also often used when reporting on sport
Disabled sports
Disabled sports are sports played by persons with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. As many of these based on existing sports modified to meet the needs of persons with a disability, they are sometimes referred to as adapted sports...
.
The social model
Social model of disability
The social model of disability is a reaction to the dominant medical model of disability which in itself is a Cartesian functional analysis of the body as machine to be fixed in order to conform with normative values...
tends to be used for reporting on the activities of disability rights activists if the report is positive.
Broadcast media programming for disabled audiences
Ouch!http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/podcast/ by the British Broadcasting Corporation, The Largest Minorityhttp://www.largestminority.org/ broadcast in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and a show presented in sign language
South African Sign Language
South African Sign Language is the name of the sign language favoured by the South African government. SASL was formally recognised in 1995, and is still being codified...
on SABC television in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Dtvhttp://deaftv.co.za, are examples of programming produced for, and usually also by, disabled people.
Radio reading service
Radio reading service
A radio reading service or reading service for the blind is a service of many universities, community groups and public radio stations, where a narrator reads books, newspapers and magazines aloud for the benefit of the blind and vision-impaired. It is most often carried on a subcarrier, with...
s are radio stations that broadcast readings from newspapers, magazines and books to mainly blind or partially sighted audiences.