INCLUSION LONDON - Disability Hate

YogiBear

Hi

Inclusion London Want You to start reporting to them - All Disabled people want is an equal opportunity to live good lives and participate in our communities. Yet too often, the media portrays us in extremely negative ways, often using Disabled people as a scapegoat for wider societal problems.

Disabled people deserve better than media that questions whether we are worthy of rights, support or independence, while excluding us from the conversation about our lives.

Media organisations have the power to influence how disability is understood and discussed. Advertisers have choices about the media they fund, and Disabled people have the power to document what is happening and demand change.

Together, we can build evidence, challenge the narrative, and make disablism unprofitable.

Seen something we should know about?

Report harmful disability coverage and help us build the evidence for change:

(You can also open our form directly in a new window)

https://form.jotform.com/262353288662060

The way Disabled people are represented in the media directly impacts how we are treated in our everyday lives. It fuels prejudice, reinforces stereotypes and creates stigma, contributing to discrimination and hostility towards Disabled people.

We are building the evidence we need to challenge disablism in the media.

We want Disabled people and our allies to help us monitor media coverage, expose patterns of harmful reporting and hold media organisations to account.

Most media outlets rely on advertising revenue. They push disablist narratives because it generates clicks and sales. By putting pressure on advertisers not to support outlets who promote disability hate, we can make disablism unprofitable.

Why media representation matters

The media does not simply report the news. Media coverage can shape public attitudes, political debate and public policy.

Everyone deserves to be portrayed fairly, accurately and respectfully in the media.

When newspapers, broadcasters and online media repeatedly portray Disabled people in negative ways, the impact can extend far beyond the headline.

Harmful disability narratives can:

• reinforce prejudice and discrimination
• undermine support for disability rights and independent living
• contribute to hostility, abuse and disability hate crime
• affect Disabled people’s mental health and wellbeing
• exclude Disabled people’s voices from debates about our own lives.

Our plan has three stages: Monitor, expose, change.

Stage 1: Monitor

We want to build a clearer picture of how Disabled people are portrayed across the media. Help us build the evidence.

If you see media coverage that concerns you, report it to Disability Media Action.

We want to hear about:

• newspaper articles
• online news stories
• opinion and comment pieces
• television programmes
• radio programmes and podcasts
• social media content published by media organisations.

We are particularly interested in coverage that:

• portrays Disabled people as a burden
• promotes stereotypes about benefit fraud
• suggests Disabled people are undeserving of support
• claims Disabled people receive “special treatment”
• stigmatises mental illness or distress
• stigmatises neurodivergent people
• excludes Disabled people’s voices from stories about disability
• reinforces prejudice or hostility towards Disabled people.

We also want to hear about good journalism.

Positive examples of fair, accurate and respectful reporting can help demonstrate what better disability reporting looks like.

Stage 2: Expose

Harmful disability narratives don’t exist in isolation.

By bringing together reports from Disabled people across different newspapers, broadcasters and online media, we can identify recurring narratives, show where particular stereotypes are being repeated and build up a pattern of evidence that cannot be dismissed.

Your reports will help us:

• monitor patterns across media outlets
• identify recurring harmful narratives
• gather evidence from Disabled people’s lived experience
• produce reports and briefings
• challenge harmful representations
• engage with media organisations
• promote better reporting about Disabled people.

What can you report?

You can send us:

• links to articles or online content
• screenshots
• photographs or scans of newspaper coverage
• details of television or radio programmes
• information about social media posts from media organisations.

And if you can, tell us which companies were advertising alongside the content.

This information is particularly important, as it will help us persuade advertisers to stop funding disability hate.

Submit a report via our form: (or click here to open our form in a new window)

https://form.jotform.com/262353288662060

Stage 3: Change

We are following the money. Harmful disability narratives don’t just attract attention. They can generate clicks, audiences and revenue. Most media organisations rely on advertising.

Companies may not realise their advertising is appearing alongside coverage that stereotypes, stigmatises or promotes hostility towards Disabled people.

That’s why Disability Media Action will look not only at what is being published, but also who is helping to fund it.

Our approach is inspired by the work of Stop Funding Hate, which encourages companies to pull their advertisements from publications that spread prejudice and hate.

We will clearly demonstrate to advertisers that funding media outlets who promote disability hatred is not just morally wrong, it also negatively impacts public perception of their company.

Businesses that have made commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion should be prepared to ask whether their advertising practices reflect those commitments, and act accordingly.

Our approach

Our aim is not to target individual journalists or encourage online abuse. All reports will be kept confidential, unless you wish to raise your concern publicly.

Our aim is to build evidence, hold powerful organisations accountable and create pressure for change.

The principle is simple.

If harmful disability narratives are profitable, they will continue.

If advertisers don’t fund them, media organisations have another reason to change. Let’s show the media and advertisers that disablism doesn’t pay.

Read more from our campaigning on crime and disabled people.

Rosie_Scope

This sounds like a really important initiative. Thanks for sharing @YogiBear, I'll be interested to follow this and see how it goes.