Media Mutes Disabled?

[redravin40]

Some interesting observations about how the media deals with the disabled community.

The Link

Media still leaves voices out

By Dave Reynolds

The headline from the Knoxville News Sentinel popped up on my screen:
"Windy Smith on President's Panel."
The implications of having one's voice ignored are enormous.

This caught my attention because I recognized Smith's name from the 2000 Republican National Convention, when she read to convention-goers a letter she had written to candidate George W. Bush.

The February 23, 2003 News Sentinel story highlighted the announcement that last fall President Bush had appointed Knoxville citizen Smith to the President's Committee on Mental Retardation. The article also listed some of Smith's accomplishments, including her local work to "get out the vote."

But something important was missing.

The story did not include a single quote from Windy Smith.

I reread the story from beginning to end. Nope. Lots of her mother's words, but not one syllable from Windy.

Windy Smith, who is an accomplished writer and public speaker, who has received numerous awards -- including the Knoxville News Sentinel's own Citizens Award for Outstanding Students -- apparently was not even interviewed by her hometown newspaper.

Why not? Could it be she had nothing to say? Or could it be simply because she has Down syndrome?.

I then did a quick search for "Down syndrome" in mainstream news articles I had collected the previous couple of weeks.

These headlines popped up:.

"Karate kid wins despite the odds" (Evening Star, England).

"It's about abilities" (Wyoming Tribune-Eagle).

"Sense of Importance" (Greeley Tribune).

"Boy bonds with friends despite disability" (Wilmington Star).

"Athlete May Be Grounded" (Newsday).

"Skiing's a 'special' experience" (New Milford Spectrum).

These six "soft news" stories featured people with Down syndrome, or "severe disabilities." Despite the headlines, most highlighted the individual's accomplishments and contributions to their communities.

I went through each with a fine-toothed search utility. Not one story included a quote from their subjects. Most "hard news" items, those dealing with policy issues or crimes against people with disabilities, for example, rarely include the perspectives of those impacted by the events, either.

The hidden message here is that people with Down syndrome and certain other disabilities cannot say anything and, by extension, that they have nothing to say. That message is disrespectful, condescending and ignores the true contributions of all involved.

The implications of having one's voice ignored are enormous. Where did "Nothing about us, without us" go awry when it comes to the media and people that have developmental disabilities?.

"It's just not right," said my friend Resa Hayes. "We have something to say, too."

Hayes is a member of People First, a self-advocacy group made up of people with developmental disabilities. She also trains people how to advocate for themselves.

"It's as if they don't want to hear our opinions, our voices," she said of reporters. "How are people going to know what we think about things if they don't ask us?".

Reporters and their editors must take much of the blame. "Part of the problem is that reporters don't want to take the time," Mike Rogers, co-chair of Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, told me. "They've got their deadlines. They want quick answers.

"But it's important that we are heard," he continued. Rogers, like Windy Smith, is on the President's Council on Mental Retardation.

"As a person with a disability, I see things others don't," he explained. "It's my personal perspective that's just as important as the next person's."

But blame also rests with those who attempt to speak for people like Smith, Hayes and Rogers, rather than helping them speak up for themselves. Even the most concerned voices of others on behalf of people with developmental disabilities -- because they not the voices of the individuals whose issues are being discussed -- continue to lead to segregation, low employment, discrimination and wasting away of lives. How many institutions would close if policy-makers, administrators, private citizens, families and news reporters took the time to listen to the people who live there -- or who are at risk of institutionalization?.

How would Rogers feel about his parents speaking on his behalf? "It doesn't matter," he said. "My parents would simply say 'No' and tell the reporter to talk to me."

Supportive family members, policy makers and administrators ought to practice this simple statement: "Why don't you talk to her (or him)?" Reporters should take the time to listen to the people they report about. Most important, people with developmental disabilities need to insist on speaking up.

Once the voices of the people themselves are truly heard -- in print and in person -- we will be closer to making full community inclusion a reality.

Can we really understand the thoughts of a community if the people who are doing the reporting aren't patient enough to listen?
Or do people from other communities feel they are treated the same way?
And the final question....how do we fix this?

[MSD]

I think that editors who look over articles like the ones mentioned need to make the same observations that Mr. Reynolds did, and insist that their reporters talk to the people who are being talked about and get some quotes from them, or at least paraphrase opinions and comments, and not publish the articles until the subjects of the articles have some input.

[ARTelevision]

I worked as the Art Critic for our regional newspaper and some international art journals over the years.
The fact is, many "quotes" are paraphrased or at least edited for grammar, etc.
It's hard to know why quotes from Down' individuals aren't appearing.
Perhaps there's some prejudicial uncomfortability latent in reporters who don't want to interact with their subjects.

It's a pretty cynical business. The practitioners, in general, don't have much respect for their subjects. I wasn't impressed by the humanity or even decency of many press people.

[WhoaitsZ]

erg. okay, this may seem long. if it is, please forgive me.

First off: the news media disregarded their need to get the truth out years ago. i just kind of woke up to all of this in the last few years. I've gone through most of my life ignoring the news and media completely. it was irresponsible. anyhow, now I try hard to pick up now, though.

if you are a reporter... you should Report. if anybody in the world should know why the people's opinions are important, it should be the reporters! their job is to report!

too often those who have a difficult time speaking are ignored.... this is wrong. the reasoning is normally 'it's too slow', but look, you have a _job_. deal.

this is one of the very few things about Bill Maher pissed me off about. BM is a hero to me. he says the truth, be damned if you don't like it. he's honest.
one night, instead of just saying thanks to a person who asked a long question (the guy was obviously very, very nervous) he said 'what was the question? I fell asleep". I wanted to slap the hell out of him. i can see their point, nobody wants to sit forever if they can get an answer from someone who tells it at a quicker pace, bu if your job is to get facts and obtain a people's public opinion, you have to deal with a lot of things you're going to not like. get over it.

anyhow, i feel like i'm doing a very poor job here with this post. i'm tired. i keep getting redundant. maybe tomorrow i'll try again.. just ... if you want to be popular or famous, join a fucking boy band. if you want to Make A Difference, then open your eyes.

i speak out so much on here and BBS cuz i know disabled people get overlooked. some nighs i wear myself out o get a point driven in from my POV. show us the curtosy and put a little effort into hearing people who will make themselves sweat from determination because they do have something important to say.

good night.

[4thTimeLucky]

It's sad but true.
I've worked with disabled people before and I find myself doing it. We get used to fast paced conversations and we want to find things out quickly and not hang about. It often feels quicker/easier to ask the helper/parent/friend of a disabled person than the person themselves. This is of course a terribly selfish thing to do.

There is a great radio programme on the BBC for/about disabled people called "Do they take sugar?". Sums it up perfectly.

[WhoaitsZ]

right. and ask watch someone's reaction if you answer a question someone else asks a person. the person asked will most likely fume with fury because they didn't ask YOU.

and then, they ask someone else to speak? fuck that. hypocrits.

it's just... difficult for me to sit here and not post about every topic cuz so many disabled people are ignored. but anyhow, i'm going to get off my soapbox..

one day society may grow up. unfortunatly i fear it will never happen until we evolve.....