How can we improve portrayals of people with disabilities in the media?

Challenge #1: Across various types of media, people with disabilities receive less coverage and are underrepresented in mainstream media, and even disability specific programs.

• Various reviews and studies have cited several reasons for this lack of coverage and representation with the main findings being the media’s perception of what they consider to be the public’s interest resulting in reduced awareness, coverage and a lack of recognition.
• Disability has also not been an area that the media has felt obligated to cover as media representatives and their audiences are often unaware that disability is a phenomenon with their stories and experiences often overlooked or ignored.
• Another reason cited by many studies is that very few people with disabilities work in the media industry, with few people with disabilities as media representatives or part of the decision-making processes and production. Although some disability-specific media programmes can be found, such as television documentaries, people with disabilities rarely appear in mainstream programmes or their production.

Challenge #2: The media has been cited as a key source for the reinforcement of negative images and ideas of people with disabilities.

• Many studies have shown a trend that when people with disabilities do receive media and news coverage, they are often stigmatised or stereotyped, portrayed as either superheroes or as objects of pity and compassion.
• Negative stereotypes of people with disabilities, such as the "supercrip" or "victim" narratives, are often perpetuated in the media through entertainment such as films and TV, news and sports. These stereotypes create and contribute to social exclusion and discrimination.
• Misrepresentations are common, for example some studies and reviews found that the majority of programs portrayed people on the autistic spectrum to be above or have exceptionally high intelligence and other studies found that people with mental and intellectual disabilities were often portrayed as violent.

Challenge #3: Within media portrayals of people with disabilities, there is often a lack of diversity creating an idea that people with disabilities are a homogeneous group.

• Although a lack of diversity can be seen in terms of gender, age, race, culture, and socio-economic background – many studies have observed a “hierarchy of disability” in the media. Studies have found that people without disabilities tend to favour and greater acceptance is given to people with minimal disabilities.
• The vast majority of studies also observed that men and women are not equally represented in all forms of media including minority groups. People with disabilities are not a homogenous group, and their experiences and needs vary greatly depending on their disability, gender, age, race, culture, and socio-economic background. Failing to reflect this diversity can lead to further marginalisation and exclusion.

Challenge #4: Persistent stereotypes in media representation of athletes with disabilities.

• Multiple studies found that the Olympic Games receive significantly more coverage than the Paralympic Games with some studies finding as high as six-times more text coverage and ten-times more photo coverage.
• An explanatory theme was found in parasports as audiences experienced a high degree of difficulty in understanding the rules and differences which has a negative impact on the audience’s attention and interest.
• Additionally, negative references remained in media, underpinned by a “supercrip” narrative and medicalised descriptions of disability. To illustrate, there were inferences made that the Paralympic Games were not a “real” contest, and that the athletes were not regarded as “real” athletes.