Hello and welcome to my blog!
My name is Sona Gajova, I am 22 years old, and I am a second year Communication and Mass Media student at the University of New York in Prague.
This “Seen Equal” blog was created as a Media Literacy Project for the purposes of Media and Society class taught by UNYP professor T. Nesbitt.
I have decided to focus on representation of wheelchair users in the contemporary media. As a nurse (my original field of concentration), I have a personal experience with physically challenged people. Previously, I worked as a personal assistant to a disabled girl in the wheelchair. Thanks to this valuable one yearlong experience, I realized how difficult it actually is to be disabled in our society.
The truth is that the situation has significantly improved in the Czech Republic in the last two decades, especially services and work opportunities for physically challenged citizens, as well as their overall integration into society. However, there is still a long way to go for our society to perceive disabled people as “equal”, since many stereotypes concerning handicapped people still prevail in minds of the mainstream society.
Disabled people are still considered as dependant, pitiable, non-sexual, socially weak, and unable to participate in “normal” life. Such stereotypes prevail in our society largely due to contemporary media, since mass media have an enormous power to influence opinions of its viewers. Unfortunately, modern media tend to under represent and misrepresent disabled people; often using inappropriate and politically incorrect language in relation to physically challenged citizens.
Such media approach fuels stereotyping, reinforces discrimination, and helps create a negative self-image of disabled people.
This blog aims to:
· Make the reader familiar with the issue of disability.
· Analyze the main mistakes media do in representation of wheelchair users and the reason why such mistakes are made.
· Point out some interesting events and TV broadcasts related the topic.
· Recommend some other interesting links for further research of the topic.
· Promote discussion.
Thank you for your interest in the topic Wheelchair Users Representation in Contemporary Media, for visiting my blog, and for your contribution to discussion.
This “Seen Equal” blog was created as a Media Literacy Project for the purposes of Media and Society class taught by UNYP professor T. Nesbitt.
I have decided to focus on representation of wheelchair users in the contemporary media. As a nurse (my original field of concentration), I have a personal experience with physically challenged people. Previously, I worked as a personal assistant to a disabled girl in the wheelchair. Thanks to this valuable one yearlong experience, I realized how difficult it actually is to be disabled in our society.
The truth is that the situation has significantly improved in the Czech Republic in the last two decades, especially services and work opportunities for physically challenged citizens, as well as their overall integration into society. However, there is still a long way to go for our society to perceive disabled people as “equal”, since many stereotypes concerning handicapped people still prevail in minds of the mainstream society.
Disabled people are still considered as dependant, pitiable, non-sexual, socially weak, and unable to participate in “normal” life. Such stereotypes prevail in our society largely due to contemporary media, since mass media have an enormous power to influence opinions of its viewers. Unfortunately, modern media tend to under represent and misrepresent disabled people; often using inappropriate and politically incorrect language in relation to physically challenged citizens.
Such media approach fuels stereotyping, reinforces discrimination, and helps create a negative self-image of disabled people.
This blog aims to:
· Make the reader familiar with the issue of disability.
· Analyze the main mistakes media do in representation of wheelchair users and the reason why such mistakes are made.
· Point out some interesting events and TV broadcasts related the topic.
· Recommend some other interesting links for further research of the topic.
· Promote discussion.
Thank you for your interest in the topic Wheelchair Users Representation in Contemporary Media, for visiting my blog, and for your contribution to discussion.
Enjoy reading! :)
Sona G.
picture source:
Fusion Dance. (2008). Kingswood Foundation. 01. 09. 2009. From
http://www.kfl.org.uk/Fusion_Dance.htm
Sona G.
picture source:
Fusion Dance. (2008). Kingswood Foundation. 01. 09. 2009. From
http://www.kfl.org.uk/Fusion_Dance.htm
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