Media & Disability
Guide on media & disability
Specialist Disability Programmes
In many cases production teams do include disabled people when making specialist programmes on disability issues. This can be a good place to develop people with disabilities as programme makers. Specialist disability programmes also have a role to play, for example, in keeping disabled people connected to the world around them. Such programmes also inform (and entertain) other non- disabled listeners or viewers. A BBC radio programme called “In Touch”, aimed at visually impaired audiences, is extremely popular because of the way its stories fulfil this function. Similarly, a drama aimed at deaf people where every character uses sign language, may prove popular with deaf audiences.
However the more integrated disability can be in mainstream programming, the more accurately it reflects our society. Most disabled programme-makers would not want to be limited solely to working on specialist disability programmes, but would welcome the opportunity to work in other genres. The more disabled people are employed in mainstream programming, the greater the chance of accurate portrayal.