While those with physical disabilities are grossly underrepresented in the media, in communications campaigns and in various PR materials, I have faith that this trend is slowly changing. NBC announced a few months ago that it would have a large amount of coverage of the Paralympic Games (relative to its previous coverage) and this is unprecedented in American society.
Regardless of the increased coverage of the Paralympics this year, I wonder if the underrepresentation of disabled citizens and athletes is a cultural thing in the United States. For instance, check out this AWESOME ad campaign from the Canadian Paralympic team:
I promise, it is worth your time to check it out, it is a wonderful, heart-warming ad. Anyway, I saw a similar ad like this in Denver featuring CANADIAN athletes -- I have never seen an ad like this about U.S. athletes. In talking to some wheelchair basketball players, as well, I have noticed a trend of dissatisfaction on the part of support and awareness in the United States. Many players go abroad to play in professional wheelchair basketball leagues in Italy, Turkey and Germany -- places where disabilities and disabled athletes seem to be a more mainstream, integral part of culture.
What are your thoughts on the matter? How do we go about raising awareness of events like the Paralympics in the United States and do you guys agree that this could be a cultural phenomenon in the U.S.? What part of our culture values and meaning system would reduce the number of images in the U.S.?
I'm not sure I'm proud of this, but my instinctual reaction is that I'm slightly MORE impressed with athletes with "disabilities" than able-bodied athletes because they have to overcome obstacles beyond those which are build into the sport in which they compete. Since my bike accident a year and a half ago that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, I have a new, more personal appreciation for the challenges that people with lifelong injuries face. I have made an effort in the last 5-ish years of my life to expose myself to and find common ground with people who experience discrimination and societal disadvantages (racial/ethnic and sexual minorities, immigrants, and low-income folks, for example) but I hadn't had much exposure to the disabled community. Some in the community prefer to identify as "differently-abled," as opposed to disabled. That resonates with me so much because, since my accident, I have new challenges but I also have more love, understanding and patience. We all bring things to the table in different ways. This video speaks to that.
ReplyDeleteI feel like disability is sort of the "last frontier" in regard to social awareness around discrimination here in the U.S.(not that other forms of discrimination have faded out, by any means). Josie, I take my hat off to you and wish to give you my utmost, sincere appreciation for your engagement with this underrepresented and under-recognized subcategory of people. Thanks, girl : )
I would really like to see this class address intercultural communication and PR with publics like this more in the future. We didn't have any readings that even touched on disability (nationally or internationally). I've learned so much, but that feels like a raw gap that is standing open...