Representation of Disability in the Media

Media is a term defined by Wikipedia as “a means of carrying or communicating information”. Media serves many purposes and has several jobs. It generalises, creates stereotypes and at times disguises and twists current affairs. Over time media has developed into something which everyone consumes and are involved with. It has expanded significantly, including different platforms to inform, educate and entertain the viewers. Some of these platforms include radio, television and the occurrence of new media, the Internet. In relation to the representations of disability within the media, it is fair to state that many stereotypes have formed throughout time.
There have been certain stereotypes made about disabled people by the media. In some cases the media has continuously added to the discrimination of disabled people through ridiculing and resorting to narratives which convey the disability in a humorous way. Examples include programmes like Little Britain. Little Britain was broadcasted on BBC 1 which is a terrestrial channel. Little Britain disabled characters conform to the ‘laughable’ stereotype quite evidently. There were situations set up in every single series to ridicule the disabled characters in one way or the other. These events in the programme reinforced this image of disabled people as something to ‘joke about’ or laugh at. Made them look dumb and daft, a stereotype most people carry about disabled people. This sort of a programme has immediately let to the society disrespecting disabled people and not recognising the seriousness of it.
My left foot is a movie which was made in the late 1980s by a director by an Irish Director. It is based on a true story of a guy with cerebral palsy named Christie Brown. Only his left foot is shown in working order hence that name of the movie was chosen. In this movie, there have been certain stereotypes that the character of Christie Brown has conformed to. For example, there is a scene in the movie where Christie Brown comes up with a clever plan to get coal for everyone’s house because the neighbourhood is relatively poor. All the guys followed his plan and ended up obtaining coal. This conveys his super cripple/intelligent side. Christie Brown’s mind thinks and acts faster than a lot of other people clearly demonstrating his different mentality. Christie Brown is also shown as a burden which is a negative stereotype. For instance there is a scene in the movie where the women in the neighbourhood feel as if he is a burden on his parents. They think that an incident went wrong because of him when in actual fact he was helping the incident. Their women’s prominent negative views in the movie signify the views and feelings towards disability in that period of time which still continues today.
It’s evident from the movie My Left Foot that there has been some work in the media towards showing disability in a positive manner, however more work is required for the disabled community and the media to work together and learn from each other. In particular mainstream media learning from disabled media and arts sub culture.

Sutherland in 1993 stated:

"That the very fact that previous representations of disability have been narrow, confused and unimaginative leaves the way open for disabled writers and film makers. What we can produce can blow the past away."