Talking about disabled people:
A quick guide for public relations professionals

Produced by Christina McGill MCIPR

Why think about disabled people at all?

Communications shape our perceptions of the world and the people we encounter. Research by Scope, a UK disability organisation with a focus on people with cerebral palsy, has found that disabled people often feel misrepresented by the media, whether in editorial, advertising or marketing. All too often the same old stereotypes crop up - either hopeless dependant victims or the ‘super-human' who has triumphed over adversity.

For the most part, disabled people lead ordinary lives, buy ordinary things, go on ordinary holidays and do ordinary jobs, albeit that they often encounter physical or attitudinal barriers that make these ordinary things more difficult to do.

What's it got to do with PR?

One in four households in the UK includes a disabled person. There are 8.6million disabled people in the UK with a combined spending power of £40billion each year. So whether you are involved in product launches or public consultation, you should be thinking of these people along with your other potential stakeholders and customers.

Improve your approach

	Never forget that disabled people have a stake Think about involving disabled models in photo shoots, include them in your market research, contact local groups if you're building relationships in your community, consider their needs as customers and potential employees
	Examine the context If you have a news release that focuses on a disabled person, ask yourself whether their disability is integral to the story or purely incidental – don't give a journalist the opportunity to use a stereotype
	Try to avoid sensationalism Use language that talks about solutions, not barriers, e.g. ‘they use a wheelchair to get around' rather than using words like ‘wheelchair-bound', ‘dependent' or ‘crippled'. If you're doing working with disabled people's personal stories, think about whether it's really necessary to accent negativity and loss – and is all that medical detail necessary?
	Never make assumptions Don't assume that anyone else's assessment of a person's disability is right. Ask the individual to tell you about their impairment for themselves. Words like ‘sufferer' can misrepresent a person's condition. Many disabled people are not in constant pain and would say that the thing that they suffer with most is other people's attitudes – not their impairment!
	Think about the images you use Brief photographers positively. Reject images that could reinforce the ‘victim' stereotype. If your model is a wheelchair user, be careful to choose pictures that have a level eye-line and don't look down on the subject. Choose active, positive, colourful shots
	Encourage clients to consider their disabled customers Accessing many everyday goods and services can still present big problems for many disabled people. If your client is a retailer or service provider, why not encourage them to go for a slice of the potential £40billion that disabled people spend every year. The repeat business and good reputation will be worth the effort and could keep them ahead of legislation

Useful resources/references

Disability Discrimination Act information:
Disability Rights Commission: www.drc.org.uk

Tell It Like It Is: An exploration of language, imagery and disabled people's lives: Produced by Scope, this multimedia discussion guide with video and CD-ROM gives all communications professionals the chance to challenge their assumptions and habits. Featuring the views and perspectives of disabled people themselves, the guide offers a framework within which to examine the issues and develop alternative creative approaches.

Priced at £100 inc vat & p&p
Read more at: www.scope.org.uk/tellitlikeitis
Or call 020 7619 7200