Vol. 1, No. 4, September 17, 2008 In This Issue: Media and Disability DREDF eNews Dear Friends, At DREDF we have been thinking a lot about the role media plays in our movement since we talked to individuals around the country in 2006 about the state of public awareness of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). What we learned inspired us to launch a media program. The freethinking advertising guru William Bernbach (1911-1982) said of American media: "All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level." His observation remains true, and as disability rights advocates, we need to pay attention. While the disability rights movement has made enormous strides in the past 30 years using law, policy, and civil rights advocacy as our primary tools, our message has yet to capture the hearts and minds of the general public. This important goal will not be achieved until our movement successfully challenges the misrepresentation, defamation, and invisibility of people with disabilities in media and popular culture. Too often, media stories involving disability create a sensation, not because the story is sensational, but because the coverage trumpets disability stereotypes. People with disabilities are seldom portrayed as individuals beyond the framework of their disabilities, which often are described only as negative attributes to be overcome. This narrative is rooted in our nation's legacy of demeaning and isolating people with disabilities, which has left in its wake inaccurate and outdated beliefs and attitudes about what it means to live with a disability. Regrettably, the media frequently embraces and reflects these attitudes in its coverage. DREDF's new media project intends to tackle the problem Fortunately, we have excellent company and experience to guide us: Simon Minty is leading DREDF's Media Project. His profile is located at: http://mintyandfriend.com/page,teaser,49,10,0,0,0,0_simon_minty.html To inform the direction of our project, Simon has talked to other civil rights groups that have taken on media reform and interviewed some key individuals in our community whose work has changed how media portrays and reports on disability: Mary Johnson, Editor of Ragged Edge Patricia Bauer, journalist and editor of http://www.patriciaebauer.com, a website of news and commentary on issues related to disability Beth Haller, Professor of Journalism & New Media at Towson University Suzanne Levine, Founder of the National Center on Disability and Journalism Joe Shapiro, Correspondent, National Public Radio Joe's bio is located at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101159 Simon's interviews with these experts confirm that more in-depth and thoughtful media attention to disability is critically needed. We know that media can be a potent force in countering stigma and misinformation and a powerful ally in changing perceptions, eliminating discrimination, and raising public awareness-we look forward to the challenge. Do you have a favorite media story? Share it with us. [shenderson@dredf.org] Resources: DREDF's Media and Disability Project http://dredf.org/Media_and_Disability/index.shtml Patricia E. Bauer http://www.patriciaebauer.com Beth Haller's Media dis&dat http://media-dis-n-dat.blogspot.com/2008/07/national-coalition-for-disability.html Simon Minty's Abnormally Funny People http://www.abnormallyfunnypeople.com/ Ragged Edge Online (archive) http://www.ragged-edge-mag.com/ Broadcasting and Creative Industries Disability Network http://www.efd.org.uk/about-us/broadcasting-creative-industries-disability-network BBC's Ouch! http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/ Donate http://www.dredf.org/donate.shtml Combined Federal Campaign #11944 Contact Us mailto:info@dredf.org http://www.dredf.org 2212 Sixth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 510-644-2555 ADVERTISEMENT Master Disability Discrimination Law with Resources from The American Bar Association Special Offer: FREE Reference Manual with Reporter subscription. 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View the table of contents. http://www.abanet.org/abastore/products/books/toc/4410202_toc.pdf For a limited time, receive a complimentary copy of the Disability Discrimination Law Reference (http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=main&fm=Product.AddToCart&pid=4410202) with a new one-year subscription to the Law Reporter (http://www.abanet.org/disability/publications/lawreporter/home.shtml), the only periodical that comprehensively summarizes legal developments in the areas of disability discrimination law and civil and criminal mental disability law. Or, purchase the manual separately. http://www.abanet.org/disability/publications/lawreporter/subjectmatter.shtml Learn more about the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law http://www.abanet.org/disability/home.html