Disabilty representations Flashcards
What is a disability according to the Equality Act 2010?
You are disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment and your impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to do normal day-to-day activities.
Define the biomedical model of disability.
Disabled by physical/mental impairment and need caring for; they are dependent on the able-bodied.
What does the social model suggest about disability?
Disabled people are disabled by society through prejudice and discrimination reinforcing the belief they are dependent on the able-bodied.
What is symbolic annihilation?
The absence of representation, or underrepresentation, of some group of people.
How are disabled characters often portrayed in media?
They are shown in a deficit model, presented in a negative light and characterized in a one-dimensional manner.
What percentage of adults are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act?
1 in 4 adults.
What is the representation rate of disabled adults in the media?
1 in 20 of those adults.
List three common stereotypes of disability in the media according to Barnes (1992).
Pathetic (the undatables)
Sinister or evil
A burden
What does Agyeman (2003) say about the portrayal of disability?
It is rare for disability to be portrayed as an everyday incidental phenomenon.
What does ‘Dustbins for disavowal’ mean?
Society tries to ignore the disabled and, in a way, to deny their very existence.
According to Williams-Findlay (2009), how has the representation of disabled people in the news changed?
There is a decline in the use of stereotypical terminology.
What assumption do journalists still hold about disabled people’s lives?
That the life of a disabled person is ‘tragic’ and that disabled people are ‘afflicted’.
What did Watson find regarding tabloid media coverage of disability?
Increased reporting on disability, with the disabled portrayed as welfare scroungers undeserving of benefits.
What is a telethon?
A televised event designed to raise money for charity, featuring a mix of entertainment and appeals for donations.
What problems do telethons create for the disabled according to Roper (2003)?
They rely on cute children which are not representative and imply that charities, not governments, should be responsible for providing for the disabled.
According to Karpf (1988), what do telethons do for the public?
They entertain the public but do not inform them about disability, confirming prejudices.
What did Ross (1996) find in his study of disabled viewers’ attitudes towards media representations?
Disabled viewers were critical of media representations, objecting to infantilization, unrealistic portrayals, and persistent use of disability symbols.
Define pluralism in the context of disability representation.
Representations reflect the dominant view that disability is dysfunctional for the individual and society, mirroring social anxieties about impairment.
What is the essence of social constructionism regarding disability?
Impaired individuals are disabled by society and the mass media, with representations reflecting low status and exclusion.
What does postmodernism suggest about the medical viewpoint of disability?
The medical viewpoint is in decline; understanding of health and the able-bodied is changing, leading to more positive representations.
