Disabilities in the media

I didn't pay a lot of attention to how people with disabilities were portrayed in the media until I started this class a month ago. It just so happened that I saw a report not too long ago about young children that had a crippling disease and how they were sent to this wonderful camp over the summer. These children were not much different from many other children their age in terms of their mental status, but they were treated as if they were incapable of understanding as well their peers. I don't want to say that they were belittled, but they were just in a very cushy environment with very positive people constantly telling them how great they were.

I think the thing that bothered me the most is that I never see any other type of reporting on people with disabilities. They are always in a victim-like position, which is understandable as a disability is not something anybody can help. However, people with disabilites are not incapable of living rather normal lives. They often want to be treated like you would treat anybody.

Either way, there is a very sensitive tone taken when reporting on people with disabilities. You VERY rarely see them in any other light. The other thing is when they report on someone with a disability and how they are living a normal life. The fact that there has to be a report on them telling people that they live a normal life actually prevents them from blending in with society.