Glen
interesting you should write this, we had the opposite situation here in
Quebec, anyone who read my posting would have seen me complain about the
bio-medical predominance here. Then two weeks ago, one of the disabled
women's group that I have volunteered with as a board member for a while
now, presented a critique and recommendations regarding a proposed law on
disability here in Quebec. We were quite deliberate in writing that
disability is more than biology, that disability is a socio-political
situation and we bolded that part, our verbal presentation also focused on
that point and our recommendations were also deliberate in requesting that a
gender base analysis be conducted of the law itself. Most groups of and for
disabled persons focused on social issues. Even the politician for the most
part were(sort of OK) in there questions staying on topics.( I was gladly
surprise). You would think the media would follow that example,right? Nope!
The media I now suspect actually leads the miss-conception based on their
own myth. So, I wonder if we should forget about the message and
concentrate on methods of delivery. In other words reverse the slogan that
Meads (1970'sh) was proposing "the message is the means " I would say
For disability to be understood as we see it, "the means have to be more
then the message" This is our responsibility. In your example, make sure
that the more that one person speaks to the media, and that there is a
verity of persons with different disability present.
Maria
----- Original Message -----
From: "Smith, Glenn" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 4:54 AM
Subject: The failings of disability PR....
> ...I feel down recently...
>
> ...despite the UK's channel 4 news rather feeble attempt at a discussion
> around the politics of disability after Christopher Reeve's death (which
is
> noramlly excellent), if you watched BBC news at 10 last night reflecting
on
> the death of Christopher Reeve, nobody would even know that there are
other
> alternative ideas out there concerning disability apart from the ethical
> medical debates concerning stem cell research. Are we not failing in
getting
> the social message across to the media?
>
> Also, the other week we had coverage of the disability discrimination act,
> and what did we see on the news and on the BBC TV programme Watchdog -
> you've guessed it, lots of people in wheelchairs trying to get into
> buildings. Coupled with the recent paraolympics, the narrowed view of who
is
> disabled and who is not in society and how to "beat it" seems to remain
> unchallenged and narrowly focused. Are we not also having great difficulty
> in showing the public the breadth of disability and the real politics of
> disability? I would say very, very much.
>
> Now, we even have the rather negatively named film "Inside I'm dancing"
> which surprise, surprise focuses on two young people in wheelchairs, while
> the drame about love on BBC 1, has a disabled character spouting some of
the
> cliches of joe publics perception of disability and how to get on in life
> and to cap it all, he also has cerebral palsy. Not much has changed in the
> film world, challenging the views of Joe Public.
>
> Anyone got any thoughts on a little better PR for all those who feel that
> disability is not exclusive to certain types of impairment, and how the
> media - after many many years of disability scholarship - can incorporate
a
> social perspective into some of the more complicated debates that the
scope
> of the disability discrimination act simply cannot represent...??
>
> Cheer me up please...
>
> Glenn
>
> Dr Glenn Smith,
> Research Fellow,
> London.
>
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