Seminar focusing on media portrayals of people with disability and chronic illness. For presentations of other speakers, visit: Great line-up of experts for my course on portrayals of disability and chronic illness in the media. Access the presentations here: http://bit.ly/2cGHT1f

1. Media for Social Responsibility
Portrayals of Disability and Chronic Illness
in Popular Culture

2. “…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

3. 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

4. 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

5. The Power of Word Choice

6. 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

7. 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