How Are Disabled Individuals Presented In the Media?
EssayChat / Feb 6, 2023
Introduction
According to statistics from the United States Census, there are approximately 56 million people in the United States who are disabled making up 19% of the population as of 2010 (United States Census, 2012). Further information from this report revealed that 41% of those aged 21 to 64 with any disability were employed when compared with 79% of those with no disability. Accompanied by the lower ability to obtain a job comes the higher likelihood of these disabled people experiencing continued poverty over a two year period 2010 (United States Census, 2012). With individuals from ages 15 to 64 with severe disabilities, approximately 11% experience persistent poverty with the same being true for over 4% of those with a non-severe disability and over 3% of those with no disability. This information reveals the plight of the disabled in the United States.
This proposal concerns research on how disabled individuals are presented in the media. The literature reveals information about the disabled, media representation of this group, models of disability, the need for awareness, research design, the research question, and methodology. The proposal ends with a discussion of ethical considerations.
The literature review has been conducted to demonstrate knowledge that has been gained by others concerning the subject of disabled individuals and how they are presented in the media. Information concerning models allows an understanding of what is presently known and what needs to be known. The literature review will give readers an overview of ideas, theories and other facts that have been published relative to this subject.
The Disabled
There were over 56 million disabled people in the United States as of 2012 (United States Census, 2012). People with disabilities have been unrecognized as a population. A major concern about this group is the concern for their overall health. Within this disability context, there are concerns relative to the determination of disparities which is complex. There is the need to consider which observed differences in health status are avoidable and which may be unavoidable as they relate directly to the underlying health condition that led to the disability (Krahn, Walker & Correa-De-Araujo, 2015).
People can become disabled based on different reasons. There are people born with a disabling condition with others becoming disabled because of an injury with the nature of the disability being differentiated more readily from their health status. Others have become disabled due to military service. There are approximately 2.2 million wounded warriors in the US who are disabled suffering from injuries in the body and the mind thereby causing these individuals to be disabled (Morin, 2011). Disabled veterans experience a lifetime of consequences based on being disabled.
To reveal the importance of this group of individuals and to ensure that they are treated with respect and fairness, The Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA became law in 1990. The purpose of the ADA protects the civil rights of over 50 million Americans with disabilities ensuring that disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else allowing these individuals to participate in public life (Thompson, 2015) fully.
The purpose of the media is to communicate information to the public that is beneficial to society. Mass media covers the Internet, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, film, and advertising (Wood, 2012). Social media also plays an important role in this process with people communicating via such platforms as Facebook and Twitter with information being available immediately concerning any event occurring in the world.
When viewing media representation of disabled people, it is of importance to note that the influence that the media holds over society is not always to the benefit of society especially when viewing how the media has continued to add to the discrimination of disabled people (Wood, 2012). The media has reinforced impairment with the use of the medical model of disability using images, language, and terminology related to disability. This process will be discussed in the proposal.
In a study that was performed by Paul Hunt in 1991 several stereotypes was discussed based on the media's portrayal of disabled people to include the media showing disabled people as pathetic, the object of curiosity or violence, a burden, non-sexual and unable to participate in daily life. The disabled are made to look weak and incapable versus being respected.
Inimah, Mukulu, and Mathooko, (2012) performed research concerning the media portrayal of people with disabilities in the country of Kenya. These researchers found that there were scholars in the field of mass communication that were in agreement that the depiction of people with disabilities in the media played a primary role in forming public perception of the disabled. Results from the study found that whenever people with disabilities or PWD appeared in the media, they were portrayed in a stigmatizing and stereotype manner.
In other countries, policies have already been put in place ensuring that people with disabilities are treated fairly. Changes have also been made to accommodate people with disabilities positively. As an example, colleges and universities accommodate more people with disabilities now than before the passing of the legislation. In the country of Kenya in 2007, the media stated that they did not understand why it was their responsibility to cover stories about disabled people as the media preferred to cover other special interest groups. The reason was that the media did not appreciate the need to focus on disabled people as there was not assumed to be any potential interest in stories about the disabled.
Burns (2013) began research into the adherence of Australian journalists concerning the established media guidelines on the representation of people with disability in 2008. The main focus was to discover information concerning the representation of people with disabilities in the news media. Information was found relative to themes with the themes being broken down into two categories which are traditional and progressive (Burns, 2013).
Traditional categories include the Medical Model with disability being presented as an illness or malfunction. The Social Pathology Model shows people with disabilities being presented as disadvantaged having to depend on the state or society for the economic report. The Supercrip Model with the disabled portrayed as deviant because of superhuman feats. The accomplishments made are seen as amazing for someone who is less than complete. Lastly is the Business Model as people with disabilities being presented as costly to society and business (Burns, 2013).
The Progressive categories include Minority/Civil Rights Model revealing people with disabilities being seen as members of the disabled community having legitimate political grievances. The Legal Model shares that it is illegal to treat people with disabilities in certain ways with respect for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Cultural Pluralism Model showing people with disabilities as multifaceted people with their disabilities not receiving undue attention. Lastly, the Consumer Model showing people with disabilities representing an untapped consumer group. People with disabilities may challenge these models while also questioning the value of the models (Burns, 2013).
A study performed by Goering (2015) brought attention to the social model of disability and chronic disease. The social model of disability differentiates impairment and disability with the identification of the disability as an advantage stemming from a lack of fit between a body and its social environment (Goering, 2015). The model is representative of the medical approach.
Rethinking needs to occur relative to chronic illness. The process brings attention to the need for social change so that people can gain an understanding of the impact of the disadvantages of living with a disability or condition. The Social Model Of Disability points to various ethical considerations for healthcare professionals. There is the need to understand the needs of the disabled and to view the world from their perspective.
When looking at the disabled even when the experience of impairment is negative, the reasons for those negative experiences are different from what the non-disabled presume (Goering, 2015). The ugly and unwelcoming attitudes of others can cause a strict insistence on the basic modes and levels of functioning and the physical impediments to access all make people suffer (Goering, 2015). The social model is most powerful at pointing to the ways that social norms can be disabling (Goering, 2015).
There are challenges to understanding how new and newly antiquate media relates to disability or elucidate the pointed events that become inescapable as they penetrate the cultural understandings of disability (Jones, 2012). An American newspaper journalist began chronicling themed stories in the 1980s after witnessing the transformation of a university led by a president who was deaf (Jones, 2012). This even caused the journalist to perform academic research concerning media presentations of people with disabilities. To her dismay, findings were scarce.
Twenty years later when any researcher is seeking information concerning the media and the disabled, Beth Haller's name can be found. Ms. Haller has investigated what it means today when primary source information about people with a disability is media portrayals turning the media's ablest lens back on itself questioning how and why there are dominant understandings of disability with the process evolving (Jones, 2012). Ms. Haller shares that people with disabilities cannot afford to allow on the media to define their issues. Web-based communication can use many words thereby being unaccommodating for people with intellectual disabilities (Jones, 2012). The one positive that Ms. Haller has shared is that over the past twenty years she believes that advertising is slowly improving the public's understandings of disability.
Language is the most powerful thing in the world as the process allows people to communicate effectively. When viewing people with disabilities, the same word or phrase can have different meanings based on how certain letters are capitalized, and whether the words or phrases are split in unusual ways, such as with slashes or parentheses (Umstead, 2012).
The language used by media relative to the disabled offers an indication of whether a social change has taken place. It has been found that the language that is used today revolves around the medical model of disability (Wood, 2012). An example used in "The Star" in 2004 read: "Plucky Kate stepping out into a new life" (Wood, 2012). The use of the word plucky was used in the description of a girl who has been in a wheelchair for two years. The article continues by sharing "But the future is now looking brighter. Katie is learning to walk again following a year of straightening treatment" (Wood, 2012). The terminology used in this article reinforced discrimination by using negative, disablist language that devalues a disabled individual creating a negative self-image (Wood, 2012).
This information reveals that disabled people have been marginalized within and through the media. The media continues to use the medical model of disability with the focus being on the impairment more than the individual (Wood, 2012). Disabled people are under-represented regarding employment in the media and the portrayal in the media. While there have been minimal changes in the media, it is still evident that more work is needed to enable the media to change bringing about a positive change relative to mainstream media and media culture.
Menchetti, Plattos, and Carroll, (2010) share valuable information relative to the lasting impact of fictional representations on future teachers. These teachers perform literature instruction in middle and high school classrooms being very instrumental in aiding adolescents to learn about the human experience. A developmental disability which is a specifically defined disability is comprised of severe conditions to include intellectual disability also known as mental retardation, cerebral palsy and autism representing a type of diversity that is rarely included in classroom discussions (Menchetti, Plattos & Carroll, 2010). The three teachers enlisted the help of a cohort of 40 preservice teachers to explore how contemporary books and films shape their attitudes and beliefs concerning individuals with developmental disabilities. The survey responses were coded for common themes thereby developing a picture of how these teachers' early attitudes were formed by the illustrations of fictitious characters (Menchetti, Plattos & Carroll, 2010).
The analysis of the teacher's surveys and essay responses revealed varied statements that were labeled as depictions concerning how the literary works portrayed characters with developmental disabilities regarding accuracy or inaccuracy, optimism or negativity. A more thorough analysis of the respondents' statement revealed four specific themes concerning the nature of literary depictions of developmental disabilities to include: positive and accurate - positive but inaccurate - negative but accurate - and negative and inaccurate. It was discovered that one of the benefits of using literature in the general education curriculum and the special education curriculum is that through the discussions of texts whereby characters with developmental disabilities are presented, hones, and direct informational classroom conversations about perceptions and preconceived notions can occur (Menchetti, Plattos & Carroll, 2010). The information revealed in this study shows how stereotypes and negative portrayals of disabilities occur in education with similar approaches being used in the media.
Images and stories in the media influence how people view what is watched. People with disabilities are rarely covered in the media; however, should the media cover anything about an individual with a disability, the news can be negatively stereotyped and not suitably represented (The United Nations, 2018). It is not uncommon to see people with disabilities treated with pity, charity or medical treatment having to overcome a tragedy or disabling condition or conversely, presented as superheroes who have accomplished great achievements with the plan to inspire the non-disabled.
The media can be used in raising awareness, coming from stigma and misinformation. The media can also be a powerful force to change societal misconceptions and to present people with disabilities as people that are a part of human diversity. With awareness and understanding of disability issues and the diversity of people with disabilities and their conditions, the media can actively contribute to the positive and successful integration of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society (The United Nations, 2018).
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to bring attention to while combating stereotypes related to people with disabilities. There is the need to encourage all media to portray people with disabilities in a manner that is consistent with respect for human rights.
The Research Design
Research design answers two questions to include what is going on and why is it going on (What is Research Design, 2018)? The process covers the overall strategy that will be used and integrated into the different components of the study in a logical manner ensuring the success of the process. This proposal asks how disabled individuals are presented in the media to gain insight into how the present process is not working. The question is why are disabled people presented in a negative context versus a positive context; hence, the reason for the research process.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research will be used as this process will enhance the development of quality measures while also allowing quality improvement efforts (Sofaer, 2002). A focus group will be used to gain the opinions concerning the disabled and their feelings concerning representation in the media. This process is flexible and cost effective allowing for the exploration of attitudes and responses of a random sample of people who fit a particular profile (Sofaer, 2002)
The Primary Research Question: What facts are needed to enable a positive image of the disabled through the media?
Sample
The sample will be a random sampling of disabled individuals between the ages of 20 to 45 being disabled for a minimum of five years. A further discussion of the sample will occur later in this proposal.
The sample will be individuals who have had a disability for a minimum of five years. Disabilities will include health issues, people who became disabled due to some accident and military veterans who became disabled due to a wartime injury. The focus group method is used for the collection of research data through a moderated group discussion based on the respondent's perceptions and experience relative to the topic (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).
The respondent will know about the study as a letter will be created telling the respondents about the study and what will be accomplished by the study. There will not be any incentive to ensure that the study is performed ethically. There is also the need to ensure that validity and reliability occur in the research process ensuring the overall success of the research process.
The choice of a focus group was made because of the advantages of focus groups in a study. There is face to face involvement with the researcher having the ability to interact with the respondents and the respondents interacting with each other. This process enables the building of trust in the study. Another benefit is the capability of utilizing non-verbal behavior as sometimes things are revealed in expression that is not spoken. The process will assist the researcher in learning more about how the disabled feel about the media and those findings can be written.
The size of the focus group will be 12 people in the age group of 20-45. In this manner, there can be responses that can reveal how these individuals have seen negative or positive responses relative to media and reporting. Saturation will be reached once there is very little or no change at all in responsiveness. This is the reason for the choosing of 12 people who have been disabled for a minimum of five years. The contingency plan is to contact 50 people thereby ensuring that 12 people will participate in the focus group.
The first four questions for the respondents will be: (1) how often do you view television, newspapers, or listen to the radio? (2) How many hours a week do you spend on the Internet? (3) Do you have a social media account such as Facebook or Twitter? (4) Do you remember the last article that you have read online or some other source about an individual who was disabled?
Follow up questions will be: for question one - have you always felt the same way about viewing television of view newspapers or listening to the radio as you do now? For question two - have you increased the amount of time that you spend on the Internet over the past six months? (3) How long have you had a social media account or why don't you have a social media account? (4) How did you feel when you read the article?
The research study performed by Carlsen and Glenton (2011) revealed the importance of sample side reporting groups thereby enabling me to be proactive in this approach. Thirty-seven of the studies found by the researcher revealed the ability to explain the number of groups used in the studies enabling success. It is the plan of the researcher to takes notes not only on the research study but also concerning what was performed correctly and what needs to be improved.
Ethics is of importance in every aspect of life personally and professionally with the research process not being an exception. When human subjects are involved in research, there is the need to ensure that risks are minimized and that no harm comes to the respondents (Resnik, 2015). The researcher will ask the permission of the respondents to participate in the study giving each participant an informed consent form. The respondents will be given time to read the form as information concerning the study, the purpose of the study, and the involvement of the participants will be shared. The researcher will adhere to the Belmont Report principles focusing on the welfare of the participants and will seek guidance from the professor to ensure that every guideline is obeyed thereby ensuring that all processes are handled correctly.
References
Burns, S. (2013). Media models of disability. Disability & Media Matters.
Carlsen, B., & Glenton, C. (2011). What about N? A methodological study of sample-size reporting in focus group studies. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11(1).
Goering, S. (2015). Rethinking disability: the social model of disability and chronic disease. Current Reviews In Musculoskeletal Medicine, 8(2), 134-138.
Inimah, G., Mukulu, E., & Mathooko, P. (2012). Literature Review on Media Portrayal of People with Disabilities in Kenya. International Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 2(8), 223-227.
Jones, C. (2012). Media review: An Audience's Guide to Disability in mainstream media: A Review of Beth Haller's Representing Disability in an Ableist World: Essays on Mass Media. Journals On Developmental Disabilities, 18(1), 101-105.
Krahn, G., Walker, D., & Correa-De-Araujo, R. (2015). Persons With Disabilities as an Unrecognized Health Disparity Population. American Journal Of Public Health, 105(S2), S198-S206.
Menchetti, B., Plattos, G., & Carroll, P. (2010). The Impact of Fiction on Perceptions of Disability (pp. 1-3). Blacksburg.
Morin, R. (2011). For Many Injured Veterans, A Lifetime of Consequences. Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project.
Reliability and Validity of Measurement - Research Methods in Psychology. (2018).
Resnik, D. (2015). What is Ethics in Research & Why is it Important?. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Sopaer, S. (2002). Qualitative research methods. International Journal For Quality In Health Care, 14(4), 329-336.
The United Nations. (2018). Disability and the Media | United Nations Enable. Un.org.
Thompson, A. (2015). The Americans With Disabilities Act. JAMA, 313(22), 2296.
Umstead, A. (2012). An Introductory Guide to Disability Language and Empowerment (pp. 1-2). Syracuse: Syracuse University.
United States Census. (2012).
What is Research Design?. (2018) (pp. 1-5).
Wood, L. (2012). Media Representation of Disabled People.
According to statistics from the United States Census, there are approximately 56 million people in the United States who are disabled making up 19% of the population as of 2010 (United States Census, 2012). Further information from this report revealed that 41% of those aged 21 to 64 with any disability were employed when compared with 79% of those with no disability. Accompanied by the lower ability to obtain a job comes the higher likelihood of these disabled people experiencing continued poverty over a two year period 2010 (United States Census, 2012). With individuals from ages 15 to 64 with severe disabilities, approximately 11% experience persistent poverty with the same being true for over 4% of those with a non-severe disability and over 3% of those with no disability. This information reveals the plight of the disabled in the United States.
This proposal concerns research on how disabled individuals are presented in the media. The literature reveals information about the disabled, media representation of this group, models of disability, the need for awareness, research design, the research question, and methodology. The proposal ends with a discussion of ethical considerations.
The Literature Review
The literature review has been conducted to demonstrate knowledge that has been gained by others concerning the subject of disabled individuals and how they are presented in the media. Information concerning models allows an understanding of what is presently known and what needs to be known. The literature review will give readers an overview of ideas, theories and other facts that have been published relative to this subject.
The Disabled
There were over 56 million disabled people in the United States as of 2012 (United States Census, 2012). People with disabilities have been unrecognized as a population. A major concern about this group is the concern for their overall health. Within this disability context, there are concerns relative to the determination of disparities which is complex. There is the need to consider which observed differences in health status are avoidable and which may be unavoidable as they relate directly to the underlying health condition that led to the disability (Krahn, Walker & Correa-De-Araujo, 2015).People can become disabled based on different reasons. There are people born with a disabling condition with others becoming disabled because of an injury with the nature of the disability being differentiated more readily from their health status. Others have become disabled due to military service. There are approximately 2.2 million wounded warriors in the US who are disabled suffering from injuries in the body and the mind thereby causing these individuals to be disabled (Morin, 2011). Disabled veterans experience a lifetime of consequences based on being disabled.
To reveal the importance of this group of individuals and to ensure that they are treated with respect and fairness, The Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA became law in 1990. The purpose of the ADA protects the civil rights of over 50 million Americans with disabilities ensuring that disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else allowing these individuals to participate in public life (Thompson, 2015) fully.
Media Representation of Disabled People
The purpose of the media is to communicate information to the public that is beneficial to society. Mass media covers the Internet, television, radio, newspapers, magazines, film, and advertising (Wood, 2012). Social media also plays an important role in this process with people communicating via such platforms as Facebook and Twitter with information being available immediately concerning any event occurring in the world.
When viewing media representation of disabled people, it is of importance to note that the influence that the media holds over society is not always to the benefit of society especially when viewing how the media has continued to add to the discrimination of disabled people (Wood, 2012). The media has reinforced impairment with the use of the medical model of disability using images, language, and terminology related to disability. This process will be discussed in the proposal.
In a study that was performed by Paul Hunt in 1991 several stereotypes was discussed based on the media's portrayal of disabled people to include the media showing disabled people as pathetic, the object of curiosity or violence, a burden, non-sexual and unable to participate in daily life. The disabled are made to look weak and incapable versus being respected.
Common Portrayals of Disabled Individuals By the Media
Inimah, Mukulu, and Mathooko, (2012) performed research concerning the media portrayal of people with disabilities in the country of Kenya. These researchers found that there were scholars in the field of mass communication that were in agreement that the depiction of people with disabilities in the media played a primary role in forming public perception of the disabled. Results from the study found that whenever people with disabilities or PWD appeared in the media, they were portrayed in a stigmatizing and stereotype manner.
In other countries, policies have already been put in place ensuring that people with disabilities are treated fairly. Changes have also been made to accommodate people with disabilities positively. As an example, colleges and universities accommodate more people with disabilities now than before the passing of the legislation. In the country of Kenya in 2007, the media stated that they did not understand why it was their responsibility to cover stories about disabled people as the media preferred to cover other special interest groups. The reason was that the media did not appreciate the need to focus on disabled people as there was not assumed to be any potential interest in stories about the disabled.
Media and Disabilities
Burns (2013) began research into the adherence of Australian journalists concerning the established media guidelines on the representation of people with disability in 2008. The main focus was to discover information concerning the representation of people with disabilities in the news media. Information was found relative to themes with the themes being broken down into two categories which are traditional and progressive (Burns, 2013).
Traditional categories include the Medical Model with disability being presented as an illness or malfunction. The Social Pathology Model shows people with disabilities being presented as disadvantaged having to depend on the state or society for the economic report. The Supercrip Model with the disabled portrayed as deviant because of superhuman feats. The accomplishments made are seen as amazing for someone who is less than complete. Lastly is the Business Model as people with disabilities being presented as costly to society and business (Burns, 2013).
The Progressive categories include Minority/Civil Rights Model revealing people with disabilities being seen as members of the disabled community having legitimate political grievances. The Legal Model shares that it is illegal to treat people with disabilities in certain ways with respect for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Cultural Pluralism Model showing people with disabilities as multifaceted people with their disabilities not receiving undue attention. Lastly, the Consumer Model showing people with disabilities representing an untapped consumer group. People with disabilities may challenge these models while also questioning the value of the models (Burns, 2013).
Models of Disability
A study performed by Goering (2015) brought attention to the social model of disability and chronic disease. The social model of disability differentiates impairment and disability with the identification of the disability as an advantage stemming from a lack of fit between a body and its social environment (Goering, 2015). The model is representative of the medical approach.
Rethinking needs to occur relative to chronic illness. The process brings attention to the need for social change so that people can gain an understanding of the impact of the disadvantages of living with a disability or condition. The Social Model Of Disability points to various ethical considerations for healthcare professionals. There is the need to understand the needs of the disabled and to view the world from their perspective.
When looking at the disabled even when the experience of impairment is negative, the reasons for those negative experiences are different from what the non-disabled presume (Goering, 2015). The ugly and unwelcoming attitudes of others can cause a strict insistence on the basic modes and levels of functioning and the physical impediments to access all make people suffer (Goering, 2015). The social model is most powerful at pointing to the ways that social norms can be disabling (Goering, 2015).
Disability and Media
There are challenges to understanding how new and newly antiquate media relates to disability or elucidate the pointed events that become inescapable as they penetrate the cultural understandings of disability (Jones, 2012). An American newspaper journalist began chronicling themed stories in the 1980s after witnessing the transformation of a university led by a president who was deaf (Jones, 2012). This even caused the journalist to perform academic research concerning media presentations of people with disabilities. To her dismay, findings were scarce.
Twenty years later when any researcher is seeking information concerning the media and the disabled, Beth Haller's name can be found. Ms. Haller has investigated what it means today when primary source information about people with a disability is media portrayals turning the media's ablest lens back on itself questioning how and why there are dominant understandings of disability with the process evolving (Jones, 2012). Ms. Haller shares that people with disabilities cannot afford to allow on the media to define their issues. Web-based communication can use many words thereby being unaccommodating for people with intellectual disabilities (Jones, 2012). The one positive that Ms. Haller has shared is that over the past twenty years she believes that advertising is slowly improving the public's understandings of disability.
Disabling Language and Terminology and Media
Language is the most powerful thing in the world as the process allows people to communicate effectively. When viewing people with disabilities, the same word or phrase can have different meanings based on how certain letters are capitalized, and whether the words or phrases are split in unusual ways, such as with slashes or parentheses (Umstead, 2012).
The language used by media relative to the disabled offers an indication of whether a social change has taken place. It has been found that the language that is used today revolves around the medical model of disability (Wood, 2012). An example used in "The Star" in 2004 read: "Plucky Kate stepping out into a new life" (Wood, 2012). The use of the word plucky was used in the description of a girl who has been in a wheelchair for two years. The article continues by sharing "But the future is now looking brighter. Katie is learning to walk again following a year of straightening treatment" (Wood, 2012). The terminology used in this article reinforced discrimination by using negative, disablist language that devalues a disabled individual creating a negative self-image (Wood, 2012).
This information reveals that disabled people have been marginalized within and through the media. The media continues to use the medical model of disability with the focus being on the impairment more than the individual (Wood, 2012). Disabled people are under-represented regarding employment in the media and the portrayal in the media. While there have been minimal changes in the media, it is still evident that more work is needed to enable the media to change bringing about a positive change relative to mainstream media and media culture.
Stereotypes and Negative Portrayals of Disability and Media.
Menchetti, Plattos, and Carroll, (2010) share valuable information relative to the lasting impact of fictional representations on future teachers. These teachers perform literature instruction in middle and high school classrooms being very instrumental in aiding adolescents to learn about the human experience. A developmental disability which is a specifically defined disability is comprised of severe conditions to include intellectual disability also known as mental retardation, cerebral palsy and autism representing a type of diversity that is rarely included in classroom discussions (Menchetti, Plattos & Carroll, 2010). The three teachers enlisted the help of a cohort of 40 preservice teachers to explore how contemporary books and films shape their attitudes and beliefs concerning individuals with developmental disabilities. The survey responses were coded for common themes thereby developing a picture of how these teachers' early attitudes were formed by the illustrations of fictitious characters (Menchetti, Plattos & Carroll, 2010).
The analysis of the teacher's surveys and essay responses revealed varied statements that were labeled as depictions concerning how the literary works portrayed characters with developmental disabilities regarding accuracy or inaccuracy, optimism or negativity. A more thorough analysis of the respondents' statement revealed four specific themes concerning the nature of literary depictions of developmental disabilities to include: positive and accurate - positive but inaccurate - negative but accurate - and negative and inaccurate. It was discovered that one of the benefits of using literature in the general education curriculum and the special education curriculum is that through the discussions of texts whereby characters with developmental disabilities are presented, hones, and direct informational classroom conversations about perceptions and preconceived notions can occur (Menchetti, Plattos & Carroll, 2010). The information revealed in this study shows how stereotypes and negative portrayals of disabilities occur in education with similar approaches being used in the media.
The Need for Awareness
Images and stories in the media influence how people view what is watched. People with disabilities are rarely covered in the media; however, should the media cover anything about an individual with a disability, the news can be negatively stereotyped and not suitably represented (The United Nations, 2018). It is not uncommon to see people with disabilities treated with pity, charity or medical treatment having to overcome a tragedy or disabling condition or conversely, presented as superheroes who have accomplished great achievements with the plan to inspire the non-disabled.
The media can be used in raising awareness, coming from stigma and misinformation. The media can also be a powerful force to change societal misconceptions and to present people with disabilities as people that are a part of human diversity. With awareness and understanding of disability issues and the diversity of people with disabilities and their conditions, the media can actively contribute to the positive and successful integration of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society (The United Nations, 2018).
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires States to bring attention to while combating stereotypes related to people with disabilities. There is the need to encourage all media to portray people with disabilities in a manner that is consistent with respect for human rights.
The Research Design
Research design answers two questions to include what is going on and why is it going on (What is Research Design, 2018)? The process covers the overall strategy that will be used and integrated into the different components of the study in a logical manner ensuring the success of the process. This proposal asks how disabled individuals are presented in the media to gain insight into how the present process is not working. The question is why are disabled people presented in a negative context versus a positive context; hence, the reason for the research process.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research will be used as this process will enhance the development of quality measures while also allowing quality improvement efforts (Sofaer, 2002). A focus group will be used to gain the opinions concerning the disabled and their feelings concerning representation in the media. This process is flexible and cost effective allowing for the exploration of attitudes and responses of a random sample of people who fit a particular profile (Sofaer, 2002)
The Primary Research Question: What facts are needed to enable a positive image of the disabled through the media?
Sample
The sample will be a random sampling of disabled individuals between the ages of 20 to 45 being disabled for a minimum of five years. A further discussion of the sample will occur later in this proposal.
Measurement Strategies and Procedures
The sample will be individuals who have had a disability for a minimum of five years. Disabilities will include health issues, people who became disabled due to some accident and military veterans who became disabled due to a wartime injury. The focus group method is used for the collection of research data through a moderated group discussion based on the respondent's perceptions and experience relative to the topic (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).
The respondent will know about the study as a letter will be created telling the respondents about the study and what will be accomplished by the study. There will not be any incentive to ensure that the study is performed ethically. There is also the need to ensure that validity and reliability occur in the research process ensuring the overall success of the research process.
The choice of a focus group was made because of the advantages of focus groups in a study. There is face to face involvement with the researcher having the ability to interact with the respondents and the respondents interacting with each other. This process enables the building of trust in the study. Another benefit is the capability of utilizing non-verbal behavior as sometimes things are revealed in expression that is not spoken. The process will assist the researcher in learning more about how the disabled feel about the media and those findings can be written.
The size of the focus group will be 12 people in the age group of 20-45. In this manner, there can be responses that can reveal how these individuals have seen negative or positive responses relative to media and reporting. Saturation will be reached once there is very little or no change at all in responsiveness. This is the reason for the choosing of 12 people who have been disabled for a minimum of five years. The contingency plan is to contact 50 people thereby ensuring that 12 people will participate in the focus group.
The first four questions for the respondents will be: (1) how often do you view television, newspapers, or listen to the radio? (2) How many hours a week do you spend on the Internet? (3) Do you have a social media account such as Facebook or Twitter? (4) Do you remember the last article that you have read online or some other source about an individual who was disabled?
Follow up questions will be: for question one - have you always felt the same way about viewing television of view newspapers or listening to the radio as you do now? For question two - have you increased the amount of time that you spend on the Internet over the past six months? (3) How long have you had a social media account or why don't you have a social media account? (4) How did you feel when you read the article?
The research study performed by Carlsen and Glenton (2011) revealed the importance of sample side reporting groups thereby enabling me to be proactive in this approach. Thirty-seven of the studies found by the researcher revealed the ability to explain the number of groups used in the studies enabling success. It is the plan of the researcher to takes notes not only on the research study but also concerning what was performed correctly and what needs to be improved.
Ethical Considerations
Ethics is of importance in every aspect of life personally and professionally with the research process not being an exception. When human subjects are involved in research, there is the need to ensure that risks are minimized and that no harm comes to the respondents (Resnik, 2015). The researcher will ask the permission of the respondents to participate in the study giving each participant an informed consent form. The respondents will be given time to read the form as information concerning the study, the purpose of the study, and the involvement of the participants will be shared. The researcher will adhere to the Belmont Report principles focusing on the welfare of the participants and will seek guidance from the professor to ensure that every guideline is obeyed thereby ensuring that all processes are handled correctly.
References
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