What is visible and what is invisible on screens.
What is visible and what is invisible on screens.
One billion people around the world belong to the disability community. Despite being so significant in the global population, this community remains - and also feels - largely invisible or inaccurately represented in the content that appears in the media.
In television programs that feature people with disabilities, their on-screen participation remains low and disproportionately favours the inclusion of people with invisible disabilities compared to those with visible disabilities. Lauren Appelbaum, vice president of communications, entertainment and media at the non-profit organization RespectAbility, puts it bluntly:
"The inclusion of talent with disabilities doesn't happen by accident. It's critical to have representation behind the scenes to ensure better and more authentic representation on screen. We need people with disabilities in post to influence the storyline and narrative, help make casting and talent decisions, and represent the disability community throughout the creative process."
But simply including people with disabilities is not enough. The visually impaired need to see the authentic realities of everyday life portrayed in the content they watch. According to an April 2022 study, "A Study of Attitudes About Representation on Television," conducted by Nielsen.com (the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, shaping the future of media), people with disabilities are 52% more likely than the general population to say that the portrayal of their identity group is inaccurate.
The media's mission?
The media and entertainment industry is a leader in promoting diversity in all forms, and has the power to raise awareness and increase representation of people with disabilities.
Licensing more projects, including more on- and off-screen talent with disabilities, and encouraging self-identification so that studios can find talent and provide authentic images are just a few steps that studios and content creators can take.
In a world where the battle against inequality and stereotypes continues, the media has a responsibility to make the inclusion of people with disabilities a reality.
Representative content increase viewership
If there's one thing that all viewers expect when they watch a program, it's to watch stories and experiences they can identify with. This is the basic premise of representation, which can have a direct impact on viewership. It can also fuel viewers' appetite to watch more content, which is a key element for success in the ever-growing landscape of content selection.
It is worthwhile and necessary to consider the opinion of the invisible community on, for example, ads that appear during inclusive programs featuring people with disabilities. This community is more likely to engage with a brand when the ad is placed within inclusive content and features people from the disability community.
Meanwhile, in the real world...
The media has a long history of using stereotypes to portray people with disabilities. These stereotypes can be negative or positive - but in each case they are rarely accurate.
Although we are now increasingly seeing more realistic portrayals of people with disabilities, stereotypes are still all too common. Let's say it together: let's move away from these sieve-hole clichés already and instead portray people with disabilities as three-dimensional people, not caricatures. Let's finally see more full-sized roles, especially leading roles, played by people with disabilities.
It is a sad fact that only about 3% of actors have disabilities (according to a GLAAD study). After all, there is no reason why people with disabilities should not be represented in all media - from acting to modelling.
So what stereotypes most often circulate in the media? Here are a few you're sure to recognize....
1.The villain
Throughout history, books and films have shown strong links between disability and evil or depravity. There are countless examples of "evil" disabled people: from Captain Hook to Richard III to many of James Bond's greatest enemies.
It is not uncommon for a "villain" to suffer from a mental illness and have a particular propensity for violent crimes. For example, one of the most famous media villains, the Joker - recently played by Joaquin Phoenix - suffers from schizophrenia (speaking of stereotypes: it's time to debunk the mythical yet fictional link between schizophrenia and violence).
The stereotype may have stemmed from historical ignorance of people with disabilities, but whatever the reason, it's certainly not a healthy or helpful trend.
2. The Superhero
On the other hand, there is the superhero: an inspirational figure who is actually seen as extraordinary or heroic only because of his or her disability.
News and Internet memes are the main perpetrators of this stereotype, in which a disabled person is glorified. Many people with disabilities are just as capable as everyone else and don't need gushing praise for simply being alive.
We also have a slew of stories about disability-related superpowers, when losing one ability gives the hero another superhuman one in return. For example, Daredevil's protagonist is blinded by a radioactive substance, and although he can't see, his remaining senses are sharpened, giving him a "radar sense."
While these stereotypes may seem more positive than others, they are still not accurate - and can be more than a little condescending.
3. The victim
Another common scenario is when a person is seen as pathetic or helpless simply because they have a disability.
Examples of this stereotype are too numerous to list, but a few include Quasimodo in The Bell Jar of Notre Dame, John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Tiny Tim in Dickens' A Christmas Eve Story, and even newspaper reports that describe people as victims or sufferers(the Medical Disability Model is bowed to).
In all of these cases, the protagonist's disability is used to gain sympathy from the audience, rather than genuine sympathy. This is certainly an example of focusing on the disability rather than the person.
4.The object of the joke
Making fun of people's differences is cowardly at best, yet disturbingly common. Unfortunately, many movies and TV shows use it as a way to get cheap laughs - from Mary's brother Warren in There's Something About Mary to Ken's stutter in A Fish Called Wanda. Even former U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama made a joke about bowling during the Special Olympics. Yes, he later apologized.
People with disabilities have also long been ridiculed not only in comedy programs. Also, so-called documentary programs on contemporary television make fun of or ridicule disabilities or medical conditions-still using words that in the past were used to describe people with disabilities, but have now become offensive slang.
At the same time, some comedians, such as Adam Hills, Josh Blue and Alex Brooker, who actually have disabilities, are restoring a much-needed balance to the world by using their shows to "make fun of" themselves and raise awareness about disability-in a humorous but respectful way.
5. Eternally innocent
In many films, characters are portrayed as angelic or childlike, simply because they have a disability. Forrest Gump, I Am Sam and Rain Man are great examples of such films. Often naive and sweet characters with disabilities expose the flaws of their "normal" adult peers - leading them to find redemption.
Like all stereotypes, this one is harmful mainly because it is inaccurate - and reinforces a condescending perception that simply isn't true.
As you can see, there is much to be done
Representation of people with disabilities, especially in popular culture, is progressing. But while one in six people in the world has a disability, although instances of depictions of people with disabilities in popular culture are becoming more frequent, a gigantic disparity remains.
The tremendous power of the media and creative industries to influence perceptions and attitudes is incomparable. We will soon write about the May 2023 issue of Vogue with the slogan Reframing Fashion: Dynamic, Daring & Disabled'. It was a miracle. Edward Enninful, chief executive of the British publication, gave a masterful editorial showing how the fashion industry and business leaders can use their power to influence representation.
Quality, authentic representation of people with disabilities and their experiences is not just a social justice issue. It's a mission, but also an essential business strategy. As long as discrimination against people with disabilities persists, business and the media must do more.
