Disability in the Media

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and whether it portrayed the characters’ disability in an accurate light rather than an inspirational piece for those who do not experience such circumstances.

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She laid the small control on the white sheets as she shifted her body slightly, pain spreading through her torso. She wanted to come to her own conclusions about the film, and luckily, she found it right on time, as it had barely begun. She prayed this wasn’t another misrepresentation piece about the lifestyle of individuals with disabilities or an inspirational piece for abled bodies. She was tired of the mediocre and inadequate representation of individuals with disabilities in the media and drained of having little to no accurate representation of the community she holds dear to her heart.

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In the media, authentic representation for individuals with disabilities is jam-packed with a multitude of layers. Crafting an accurate representation of individuals with disabilities is a balancing act. It’s important to steer clear of extremes when depicting individuals with disabilities, avoiding portrayal of helplessness and exaggerated heroism. A responsible approach to news content necessitates an authentic representation of the diverse experiences within the disabled community, steering clear of perpetuating myths and stereotypes.

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According to Ashtyn Law, co-founder and head researcher for FilmDis, an organization seeking authentic representation and inclusion of people with disabilities in front of and behind the lens, and Dom Evans, media consultant and media director for FilmDis, “Disability representation that is truly inclusive and not from the nondisabled lens is so fleeting that we suspect that even most disabled people don’t even know what good representation is.”

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The works of artists with disabilities are approached in a different light than those of able-bodied artists. Typically, mainstream audiences ignore the works of artists with disabilities or perceive a stereotypical message rather than the original intention. In “The Disabled Body in Contemporary Art,” Ann Millet-Galliant, an art historian and disability studies scholar, wrote, “Disabled artists’ works are... assumed to express images of so-called suffering (like Kahlo) and the desire to be ‘normal.’ Their work may be seen as acts of overcoming their disabilities... rather than expressing through art their identities, knowledge, histories, and so on.”

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Historically, the media has not had an extraordinary track record of portraying artists with disabilities accurately; in fact, it has swung the pendulum in the opposite direction. At first, individuals with disabilities were taboo subjects. They were something to be ignored and hidden, not seen. History revealed that individuals with disabilities were often devalued and dehumanized. As society flourished and laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability in several areas of communications and programs, were created, it fueled change.

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It followed along with the masses and fostered a breeding ground for stereotypes and myths. The media too often grasps onto the disability aspect instead of focusing solely on the person or their work, overshadowing their achievements with solemn tales of suffering and pity. As it plays a pivotal role in shaping the public’s perception and influencing societal norms, the media left a single perception of disabilities that remnants still remain.

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Cary LaCheen, a prior senior attorney for the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), wrote in the 21st volume of the Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law an example of the amount of influence the media has and how it has formed the public’s attitude towards individuals with disabilities. She discussed staggering differences in media coverage between the gay rights movement, and disability rights, and the ADA.

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According to LaCheen, as the media reported on hate crimes, gay marriage, parenting and child custody issues, etc., there was a severe lack of commentary on the fight for disability rights and an overall shift in perspective. During the time when the gay rights movement was gaining more traction, many lawsuits pertaining disability rights were ongoing. The media heavily focused on litigation as lawsuits were pre-packaged and readily consumable stories. This caused the public to perceive the disabled community as quick to sue as the media failed to offer alternate stories away from lawsuits.

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“Thus, from the media’s perspective, the struggle for gay rights is still unfolding, whereas the battle for disability rights was won with the passage of the ADA,” said LaCheen. “It is this very perception that must be challenged.”

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The media holds the power to influence the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals. With such power comes the responsibility to pay attention to detail: the angle, the word choice, the structure, etc. Each decision plays a valuable role in the type of story being told.

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Kanika Gupta, a visual artist and graphic storyteller, reminisced about two different experiences she had when being interviewed by journalists. CBC’s The Exhibitionists, a Canadian documentary series, did an interview about her interactive sculpture, A Warm Hug, and their questions stemmed more towards the effect she hoped her art would have and the purpose of her work. In contrast, an interview for “Rethink Recovery” strayed more towards the challenges she may have faced when creating her art and how she copes with her illness, turning the story into a human-interest story rather than an art story.

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In her essay, “On Diversity and Representation in the Arts,” Gupta wrote for Canadian Art, a renowned platform for journalism and criticism about art and culture in Canada. In it, she described in depth her thoughts on the matter and explained her grievances. “In placing the ‘cause’ first and the art second, such narratives oversell the disability and undersell the art. In them, my message and intention get distorted – and such storylines prompt readers to think that how I live with my disability is more important than the art.”

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Gupta is not the first artist to have their disability showcased at the forefront of an article that should’ve been about their art. Her story and experience are one of many. Rose has also expressed her frustration on the media and wishes they would portray individuals with disabilities as “multifaceted people who have a vast array of emotions, people who are strong, people with hobbies, people with flaws, and people who contribute to the world in incredible ways.” It is the job of a journalist to tell a compelling story; however, it should not be at the cost of diminishing an individual’s ability to create, exaggerate an individual’s disability, or depict them as one-dimensional.

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The portrayal of individuals with disabilities is an intricate issue, one that requires a delicate hand in avoiding negative stereotypes and authentically representing the individual rather than the disability. Celebrating their accomplishments and authentically telling their stories, the media landscape can continue to work in their attempts to rectify past mistakes. The media plays an important role in shaping the societal perceptions of the public, it is therefore important to understand the balance between uplifting the community without undermining the talents of the individuals.

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Dr. Beth Haller, co-founder and co-director of the Global Alliance of Disability in Media and Entertainment (GADIM), discussed some methods journalists and newsrooms can approach the topic in a delicate and sensitive manner. Eradicating ableist language and using more inclusive language is a crucial step to disrupting the landscape of writing demeaning disability metaphors or characterizing an individual as suffering or are afflicted with their disability.

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She suggested, “...For journalists to ask the disabled person they are interviewing how they want to be identified. Everyone has their personal preference.”

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In the end, Merrill felt “Five Feet Apart” accurately portrayed the disabilities it presented. She felt as though there had been a change in the media landscape and looks forward to seeing more inclusive news segments and articles in the near future. She, like so many others, deserves to see authentic stories about her community and fellow artists with depth and respect. She hopes to one day see the gap disappear between the perception of society and the reality in the media’s portrayal of individuals with disabilities.