The representation of disability in the media plays a major role in edging the public discernment on disability. This perception displayed by the media directly affects peoples thinking about disability and how they treat people with disability. In the past, media platforms have been linked with reinforcement of negative ideas and images concerning people with disability. In response to this case, there is increased the involvement of people with disability in the media in recent past. Globally, people with disability have now pursued their own media projects such as films series, radio programs, and have also been involved in broadcasting in other channels to counter the effect created by the media about them. The media generally depicted people with disability with heroism or pity. The pity or heroism dichotomy has been used in many cases in broadcasting news related to people with disability to attract an audience. Arguably, there is hope of media change in the future concerning people with disability.
Notably many media channels have news program. This program reports different occasions that happened and the special part of it. As part of learning, journalists are taught on how to frame news on the ground when they collect information. When journalists cover people with disability in their news, they will frame it to appear just like the same as others with a disability. The stereotype news continues to take root even in new recordings. The stereotype used in framing disability news becomes common leading to society making a conclusion about people with disability. In my opinion, like any other person, people with disability vary in ability, skill, morals, and behaviors. Therefore, it is very mean for the media to frame them as having the same trait. The media has created an idea or a certain agenda about people with disability in the society. The media uses a clearly defined set of a frame to communicate disability news. For example, people with disability are viewed as people who depend on healthcare practitioners for maintenance (Ellis, & Goggin, 2015). On the other hand, they are displayed as unable to survive without government support which is framed as a gift not a right to them. It is very ironical how the media depicts people with disability as helpless while as many of them today have survived on their own hustle.
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The negative frames are however becoming outdated with much increase in social acceptance of people with disability. The days when the business society viewed people with disability and their issues as costly to the society are now gone and people with disability are now running businesses. They are also viewed as examples in the business world as some of them are business advisors and mentors. The only thing that the negative flaming did was to create a negative attitude towards them then. When the business community associated people with disability with a high cost of living, they instilled a negative sense among people in the society making them believe that it is true that people with disability could affect the economy (Tremain, 2016). However, the framing came to change and people realized that people with disability were like common people in the society only that they required some little special care.
The change of negative framing marked its end when the government signed American with disability act. The milestone was a major change in reducing exclusion and invisibility for people with disability. They started being portrayed members of disability community which gives them civil rights like any other group. The notion of pity ceased and people started viewing them as normal with no undue attention from the society. The same media that had framed them negatively started fighting for their rights explaining that people with disability should be treated like normal people and it is illegal to treat them in certain ways. The Americans with disability act and other laws that stood against discrimination on disability basis brought in some equality in the society (Ellis, & Goggin, 2015). In my opinion, Americans with disability act were the best law and the best step that the government took to maintain equality in the society. As a result, the government gave people with disability a chance to exercise their rights. To many people, the new people with disability frame in media portrayed progress in societal attitude towards people with disability.
Notably, television shows are important sites of media consumption. Much of what the society learns about disability is from television shows. Television being the most used media site is viewed to cause most of the society ethical values and shape of morals. Many of the things television teaches are taken by the society to be right and they end up being so influential to the society. If the media decides to portray the negative side of people with disability, the society will assume the view of the media to be right while it may be total opposite or just an assumption. On the other hand, the media may decide to support the people with disability and display their positive side. The society will take it that way without questioning whether it is true or false. There are also most common words that are used by journalists which are aimed to be positive but at the end of it, all become bitter to persons with disability. Notably, there are phrases commonly used by journalists when referring to people with disability are not good to them at all. They argue that phrases such as brave, suffering from, defying the odd, overcoming disability, wheelchair-bound and others are mostly used by a journalist to show positivity of the media to people with disability but they turn bitter when internalized (Haller). Many of people with disability do not like being handled like they are another special species of mankind. In my opinion, journalists when reporting news concerning people with disability should refrain from using such words.
In essence, the film media industry has tried to engage people with disability in films series acting lately. Many of them have featured well making the film attract a bigger audience. However, they are mostly engaged in films that require disabled character, therefore meaning that they are not fully engaged in normal actor's way. The argument is that a person with a disability should be considered equal to able-bodied person and therefore should play a normal character in films too. The fact that they are only featuring in a film that has disabled character limits their talent. Therefore, the entertainment industry should plan on engaging people with disability to play characters played by able-bodied characters in films to preach equality. According to my point of view, engaging them in a film to play a disabled character only worsens the situation in which the character feels the effect of being disabled. The main aim of the film producer was to use and portray the talent but on the other hand, the character may feel not satisfied. Notably, giving them a chance to feature in parts where abled actors perform will encourage them to do more. It will also portray the intended image of no discrimination of people with disability (Ellis, & Goggin, 2015). To achieve lasting and real change, filmmakers must aim at not only hiring people with disability to play roles written with a specific disability but should also make sure that they have a fair shot to play any character irrespective of disability.
Finally, as the world is changing and media perspective has changed widely too, there are few things remaining to make the entire view of people with disability view by the media. As far as people with disability are engaged in media presentation and advertisement, the question of how many of them and how often they appear in the media should be answered. Notably, engaging many people with disability many times may create an enormous impact on how the society regards them. Also, they should be portrayed with respect and dignity to promote their acceptance in the society (Tremain, 2016). This will also encourage inclusion and tolerance in the society and it will be easy to offer equal opportunities without discrimination.
To sum up this discussion, media had stereotyped the negative part of people with disability a lot in the past. However, the argument has changed today as many are being involved in filmmaking and advertisement. The notion negative stereotype ended after the government signed Americans with disability act leading to the media entire change to portray the positive side of people with disability. This was the best and important step that the government made to promote equality. Many people with disability have been in recent past featured in advertisements and in films which have helped in changing the societal perspective about them. Finally, we recommend the media to increase the involvement of people with disability in the media and also increase the number of times they appear to promote acceptance in the society.
References
Ellis, K., & Goggin, G. (2015). Disability and the Media. Palgrave Macmillan.
Haller. Advertising boldly moves disability images forward
Tremain, S. (2016). Dialogues on disability. The Philosophers' Magazine, (72), 109-110.
