Deaf and disability in the media: Representation and inclusion

When deaf and disabled people look at the media, they feel invisible. Deaf and disabled people rarely appear in the news, TV programs, movies, and other media. But people who are deaf or have disabilities are 15 percent of the world population. In the United States, the number is even larger. Almost 25 percent of Americans have one or more disabilities. But people who are Deaf or have disabilities almost never appear in the media. A report from the Ford Foundation, Road Map for Inclusion, explains the problem.

The author argues that 25 percent of people in the media should be people with disabilities. She also argues that 25 percent of people creating media should have disabilities. Meanwhile, the report explains how other communities increased their representation in the media. It also explains what has helped increase disability representation in the UK media. It ends with recommendations for how to increase deaf and disability representation in the media.

The Ford Foundation published this report by Judith Heumann in 2019. Meanwhile, this PDF file is accessible for people who use screen reading software. For example, images use alternative tags to describe them for people who cannot see.

Also explore other resources about disability representation in the media and public communications.