Giving Compass' Take:

• This Ford Foundation white paper can inform philanthropic efforts to replace the underrepresentation of disability in media with proportional, accurate, and intersectional representation. 

• What role can you play in expanding media representation of disability? 

• Consider supporting the Disability Rights Fund. 

Why? The media is at a crossroads. Diversity is in the zeitgeist and disability is being left out of the conversation. One in four Americans is disabled, and they should be represented proportionally in front of and behind the camera.

What? This white paper details the current issues regarding lack of authentic representation of disability in the media. Examples drawn from the experience of other minority groups, such as Asian Americans and the LGBTQI community, offer some insight into steps that can be taken to induce change. Finally, we provide clear recommendations, including supporting a specific entity dedicated to the inclusion of disability in the media, for funders interested in taking critical steps to achieving authentic representation of disability in the media.

Who? This white paper is designed for the philanthropic community, particularly those interested in cutting-edge inclusive diversity initiatives. The philanthropic community has the opportunity to be an agent of change by funding an entity focused on the inclusion of disability in the media.

One out every four Americans has a disability. However, far fewer than 25 percent of characters in the media today are depicted with a disability—and those who are, most often are not portrayed by a disabled actor.

Moreover, media makers do not seem to be cognizant of disabled people’s absence. Why would they be? The current system is working for them. According to the film website IndieWire, “59 non-disabled actors have earned Oscar nominations for playing disabled characters. History suggests that those nominees have nearly a 50% shot at a win.”

Representation of disability in the media should be one in four, in front of and behind the camera, in characters, in actors, in directors, in writers’ rooms, and more. Disabled people come in all shapes and sizes, from wheelchair riders to people with psychosocial disabilities to those with chronic illnesses. From the Hispanic deaf person to the legally blind African American who has albinism to the Asian lesbian wheelchair rider, diversity is intersectional and the media must reflect this. Not only do disabled people need to see themselves, but their families and communities need to see disability on their screens. Most people acquire their disabilities as they become older, so people should be given the opportunity to learn about the diversity in this community.

We can look to the United Kingdom for examples of to how disability can become more integrated into television—from programming to casting to production—and the benefits that can result. Beyond the efforts of specific channels, it should be noted that there is an underlying regulatory framework that has contributed to the level of inclusion attained thus far. For example, in the UK media system, there is a communications regulator known as Ofcom. Operating under the Parliamentary Communications Act of 2003, Ofcom regulates television, video-on-demand sectors, fixed-line telecoms, and mobile and postal services. Ofcom oversees operating licenses for both the BBC and Channel 4, and its diversity targets explicitly include disability. There is even a system known as Diamond that is used by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky to catalog and distribute consistent diversity data on programmes they commission.”