Media & Disability
Project actions
Conclusions and recommendations
While some mainstream media seem open to improve their record on disability, more action and pressure from disability organisations is required in order to keep them moving, and to engage those not yet involved or interested..
Some disability organisations still do not have a vision of media portrayal which goes beyond broadcasting a specialist disability programme. Moreover, they do not have enough knowledge or expertise about how media actually work in order to engage in informed dialogue with media professionals..
Progress will not be made on portrayal until disabled people have the chance to work inside media organisations. This means work placement and training opportunities but most of all it means the opportunity for full time employment.
Making progress in this area takes time. Startling results cannot be achieved in 1-2 years.
Progress needs to be based on a constructive approach based on mutual respect between media and disability organisations. At present few media organisations appear to be in contact with disabled people or with disability organisations.
The work to be done by disability NGOs to influence the way media portray people with disabilities has to be seen different from the usual communication work.
Recommendations for disability organisations
Disability organisations willing to take a lead on this issue require training to be able to be effective in their work. They need to be aware of the different types of arguments to be used (commercial, ethical, democratic), what drives negative images and attitudes and how to counter these in portrayal and of examples of good practice.
Specific advocacy needs to be developed for the different sectors: public and private TV, production companies, advertisers and advertising agencies.
Disability organisations need to be aware that this is a long term initiative which requires a dedicated team with media and disability know-how. Adequate and sustainable resources need to be allocated to this.
Find small concrete win-win actions that lead to results that can be evaluated over time, instead of trying to establish from the start over-ambitious and unrealistic plans.
A strategic approach is required to establish good relations with senior media personnel as well as with disability champions working in the industry will help improve the chance of progress being made.
It is important for disability NGOs to co-operate with research organisations including universities and student studies, to influence future media professionals.
Identify disabled people willing to make a professional career in the media sector. Identify media organisations and professionals who may be willing to giv disabled
people a chance. The public sector is likely to be more readily persuaded than the private sector.
It is important to assemble facts about disability before talking about portrayal and employment. This includes definition of disability and statistics about its incidence. The credibility of third party studies (universisities) must not be undererestimaded.
Start using blogs and other free available tools to allow people with disabilities acquire skills and create content.
What can mainstream media do?
Appoint disability focal points within their organisations to promote the employment and portrayal of people with disabilities, as well as accessibility related issues.
Appoint a disability affairs correspondent whose job it is to make links with disabled people and disability organisations and to represent their views and news on the media agenda, especially news and current affairs.
Establish work experience and placement schemes for disabled people within their companies.
Establish mid term targets for the employment of people with disabilities, as well as for the portrayal of people with disabilities. Survey the existing workforce and output to establish a baseline.
Promote the establishment of a media network or working group on the inclusion people with disabilities, in order to exchange knowledge and expertise. Disabled staff members should be represented if there are any. If there are enough to form a critical mass then a disabled employee group can be helpful.
Undertake disability awareness training for all relevant staff members especially those involved in recruiting/employing staff, and those deciding on content and contributors in programmes.
Where no disabled people are employed in production or editing of programmes and the programme has disability content engaging suitably experienced disabled people as consultants to advise on the content.
How can public authorities help in this process?
It is very important that public authorities at EU and national level show clearly their interest in this issue
A publicly financed fund for work and training placements for people with disabilities in the media sector would help motivate some media organisations to create such opportunities.
Following the example of the UK, public authorities when committing to public advertising campaigns should include in their briefings for advertising agencies a strong recommendation on the inclusion of people with disabilities. This should apply to EC advertising, including recruitment advertising.
EU support for the exchange of good practices and resources between mainstream media and disability organisations would be of huge relevance especially for countries where this is a new issue. This could be done within the EU MEDIA initiative and could be led by the European Disability Forum and should have the support of the different European media networks.
The European Commission could create a website, similar to the UK website Images of Disability, where European mainstream media and disability organisations could obtain relevant information on this issue.