Communities: People with Disabilities

Disabled Communities Presence in Media Content

Disabled communities have long recognized the power of the media to contribute to a society that is informed and aware of the culture, interests and concerns of people with disabilities. Many advocacy organizations for the disabled community find the dearth of programming for and about people with disabilities troubling, particularly since many disabled people consider themselves "the invisible minority." Onscreen, many disabled characters are cast in stereotypical roles, such as "victim" or "abnormal." Less often are these characters portrayed in "straight" roles – roles that could be given to any actor. Adding insult to injury, disabled characters are often played by non-disabled actors, as when the role of Dr. Kerry Weaver, in the medical drama ER was given to a non-disabled actor who was given a crutch, instead of the disabled actor – who actually used a crutch – that had also auditioned for the part. An article posted on Multiple-Sclerosis.org points out that some inroads are being made, listing several examples of disabled actors cast in high-profile roles. And a bibliography on Media History and Disability is available from Towson University.

Though approximately 55 million Americans have a disability (about 19% of the population), less than half of one percent of actors in actors unions self-identify as disabled. In fact, the employment of disabled actors is so limited that the unions do not even keep hiring statistics.

Disabled communities actively participate in media production. Galludet University links the rise of the deaf press to the way that the deaf community was tied together through shared language – American Sign Language. The first deaf school paper, called the Little Paper, was founded in 1849. Many of these papers are available on microfilm at Galludet.

Disabled Communities Access to Technology

People with disabilities understand the importance of access to critical technologies and have often been pioneers in exploring the capabilities of new technologies to enhance our everyday lives. See the Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.'s Disabled Media Policy Timeline. Technology carries tremendous potential to level the playing field between those who have disabilities and those who don't. For example, the Association for the Blind strongly advocates for widespread access to hi-speed internet, or broadband because it can be the only means for blind and visually impaired people to obtain necessary information.

In addition to broadband access, disabled communities advocate for other policies to promote access to necessary technology. The National Association for the Deaf, along with several other disabled rights organizations, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, American Council of the Blind and World Institute on Disability, include the following among their technology priorities:

Peer to Peer Signing – broadband access makes it possible for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with each other sing their primary language – American Sign Language – in real-time instant messaging technology.
Telecommunications Relay Services – Federal Law provides individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing with equipment and services which allow them to communicate using regular landline phones.
Universal Service – The Universal Service Fund (USF) provides funding to provide for low-cost access to phone service, including the Telecommunications Relay Service, through the Lifeline and Link-up programs. Proponents for people with disability also advocate for the USF to meet what they see as its unrealized potential: potential to bring advanced technologies to disabled individuals, such as screen-reader software.
Wireless – Looking ahead, disability advocates see cell phones with large video capabilities to permit mobile peer-to-peer signing.
Closed-captioning – In the midst of preparation for a transition to a digital television environment, advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing want to ensure that closed-captioning will be provided for all channels.

Solutions

Various groups are working to address the telecommunications needs of people with disabilities:

The Non-Traditional Casting Project (NTCP) works to improve opportunities for disabled actors and actors of color through advocacy, education and the development of programs to help producers, directors and casting directors to take a more inclusive approach to casting.
The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights recently released a report on Civil Rights implications of the Digital Divide, including specific recommendations for meeting the needs of disabled communities.
The National Center for Accessible Media works with the Corporation of Public Broadcasting to make media more accessible for all Americans at work, at school, in the community and at home.
The National Telecommunications and Information Association compiles statistics on Internet use by various demographic groups, including the various disabled communities.
Consumers Union advocates for community wireless broadband systems – an affordable, competitive means for communities to close the Digital Divide.

Visit the Community Organization and Resource Bibliography for a more comprehensive directory of groups and information.

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