Media for Social Responsibility

Portrayals of Disability and Chronic Illness in Popular Culture

“…our industry still falls significantly short of accurately reflecting the population it serves.” –Karen Magnuson, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Disability is often overlooked in diversity discussions

Diversity and Inclusion

How Do We Know What We Know?

Media messages influence attitudes, behaviors, and our identity

Media can break or reinforce/perpetuate stereotypes

Employment of people with disabilities, diverse sources, framing of stories, and word choice

Pity, weakness, undesirability, deficiency, suffering

Charity for people with disabilities

Burden or drain on society

Disability is a way of being, rather than an “affliction”

Common Story Frames

The Power of Word Choice

Ask the person how they want to be identified

Consult with the community

When describing an individual, do not reference his or her disability unless it is clearly pertinent to a story

The Power of Word Choice

Person-first language: Puts the person before the disability. (The disabled person with a disability/people with disabilities)

Identity-first language: Places the disability-related word first. People who prefer identity-first language for themselves often argue that their disability is an important part of who they are, or that they wouldn't be the same person without their disability. (Disabled person, Autistic woman)

The Power of Word Choice