For one of the final electives in my undergraduate, I chose to enrol in a course called "Rethinking Disability." In this class, we were encouraged to reimagine, rethink, and critically explore how social norms, ideas, technologies, and narratives about disability and disabled people have been produced socially, politically, culturally, and why this all matters to our everyday lives. This course was eye-opening and informative in a variety of ways, and has inspired me to approach life with a different perspective.
As part of the requirements of the course, a disability-focused research paper was written, but with my unique expertise considered. As a Graphic Communications student, I decided to write about the limited portrayal of disability in print media. The following passage has been extracted from the Abstract portion of the paper:
For many decades, minority populations have fought for a notable cause: inclusion. Stemming from the desire for freedom and equality, the acquisition of minority rights by different groups of people throughout time has been of historical significance. In modern society, one particular minority group, the disabled community, continues to advocate for their rights to accessibility, education, and employment –– prompting the creation of new legislation and policies. However, despite such legal measures, as seen through the minimal representation of the disabled in the media, and in print advertising in particular, visual disparity remains a problem. This paper addresses how the exclusion of disability in print advertising contributes to the prevailing perceptions, discourses, and experiences of disabled people in contemporary social culture. As such, the fundamentals of the print advertising industry, its motivations and its relationship with disability will be explored. From a social model perspective, the implications of disability representation are then analyzed. Ultimately, this paper highlights the urgency to begin a comprehensive conversation about inclusion and recognizes print advertising as an industry that has the potential to lead change. Overall, the paper emphasizes the need to eliminate misconceptions and to recognize the disabled community as a significant part of society.
Have a read through the paper below!