Though roughly one in four Americans lives with a disability, disability issues are rarely covered by the mainstream media. When they do appear in the news or entertainment media, people with disabilities are frequently misrepresented, treated as objects of pity, or seen only as victims of tragedy or people meant to inspire the rest of us. Narratives like these create misunderstanding, reinforce stereotypes, and help keep disabled people marginalized.
So, it felt noteworthy when last month, news site HuffPost announced the launching of “Voices of Disabled People,” a new section dedicated to the experiences, perspectives, and concerns of people with disabilities across the United States.
According to a March 6 press release, HuffPost described itself as “the first major news site to create a section focused solely on the one in four U.S. adults living with a disability.”
One reason HuffPost’s new section is especially significant is that it will provide a place where people with disabilities will tell their own stories in their own voices. Too often, disability coverage has been written about disabled people rather than with them or by them.
In a letter from the editor, HuffPost Voices Director Raj Punjabi-Johnson explained that the new section “takes a novel approach to disability justice.” It will feature storytelling by “wildly talented writers who tell stories that feel honest, timely and relevant to their communities, from inside the community.”
Added Punjabi-Johnson: these stories will challenge ableism while making room for truth, complexity and joy.
Punjabi-Johnson assures readers that the section will avoid “inspiration porn,” “tokenism,” and narrow-minded thinking about disability. Instead, the section will illustrate the reality— people with disabilities come from all cultural backgrounds, identities and occupations and bring all kinds of perspectives to their writing. Their lives are rich and aren’t only focused on disability. The section’s mission statement makes this clear: “Disability is one part of a person’s identity rather than a flaw that warrants fixing.”
To help ensure authenticity and accountability, Punjabi-Johnson is working with an advisory board made up of people with disabilities. Members include Alvin Ailey dancer Samantha Figgins, Councilperson Shahana Hanif, and disability activist Cozashay Marie, among others.
For readers, this new section offers a chance to learn, rethink assumptions, and hear voices that have too often been ignored. For disabled individuals, it represents the opportunity to be seen and heard; to break down stereotypes and to share their lived experiences and their journalism with others.
Photo of Samantha Figgins, an Alvin Ailey dancer with hearing loss, by Shuran Huang for HuffPost
