Solutions Series” which is hosted by ILiS is a series of solution “The focused discussions up think tanks’ designed to bring together – ‘pop – Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), decision makers, academics, public service leaders and other key experts from across Scotland and beyond. Each pop up Think Tank in The Solutions Series will consider, and seek solutions to, a specific issue which has been identified as preventing or hindering progression of independent living in Scotland. Each Solutions Series discussion results in a report capturing the solutions offered. This will be used to promote wider awareness and understanding of the issue and to initiate, influence and direct change at national and local levels more detail on the Solutions Series is – provided in appendix 2. the weak the representation of disabled people in the “Mock – media” is the 5th pop up Think Tank in the series. A list of invited participants is provided at appendix 3. Focus of the pop up think tank: the weak the “Mock – representation of disabled people in the media” A combination of desk based research and conversations with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s), academics, representatives from the media and decision makers helped determine the specific emphasis for the discussion ahead. It found that whilst there are examples of positive representations of disabled people in the media, largely, disabled people are both and represented and used in the media: ‘under’ ‘miss’ disabled people are defined or portrayed as free-loaders, scroungers, skivers, wee souls’, miracles or ‘poor ‘super human’…some have suggested that Government ideology/policy/rhetoric drives this there are poor links between disabled people, their organisations and the media disabled people don’t come forward to be in the media very often – they are frightened that if they do, they may lose what support they have, they might be seen as capable for support/benefits’ or they ‘too fear they might get bullied, harassed or experience hate crime despite this, talent spotters have limited lists and disabled ‘go-to’ people rarely feature on these when disabled people are engaged, – the same people or person can be over-used
“The Solutions Series” which is hosted by ILiS is a series of solution focused discussions – ‘pop up think tanks’ – designed to bring together Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), decision makers, academics, public service leaders and other key experts from across Scotland and beyond. Each pop up Think Tank in The Solutions Series will consider, and seek solutions to, a specific issue which has been identified as preventing or hindering progression of independent living in Scotland. Each Solutions Series discussion results in a report capturing the solutions offered. This will be used to promote wider awareness and understanding of the issue and to initiate, influence and direct change at national and local levels – more detail on the Solutions Series is provided in appendix 2. “Mock the weak – the representation of disabled people in the media” is the 5th pop up Think Tank in the series. A list of invited participants is provided at appendix 3. Focus of the pop up think tank: “Mock the weak – the representation of disabled people in the media” A combination of desk based research and conversations with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO’s), academics, representatives from the media and decision makers helped determine the specific emphasis for the discussion ahead. It found that whilst there are examples of positive representations of disabled people in the media, largely, disabled people are both ‘under’ and ‘miss’ represented and used in the media: disabled people are defined or portrayed as free-loaders, scroungers, skivers, ‘poor wee souls’, miracles or ‘super human’…some have suggested that Government ideology/policy/rhetoric drives this there are poor links between disabled people, their organisations and the media disabled people don’t come forward to be in the media very often – they are frightened that if they do, they may lose what support they have, they might be seen as ‘too capable for support/benefits’ or they fear they might get bullied, harassed or experience hate crime despite this, talent spotters have limited ‘go-to’ lists and disabled people rarely feature on these – when disabled people are engaged, the same people or person can be over-used