A true representation of the 4.4 million Australians with disability is urgently required in the media, arts and wider community, according to new research released today by profit-for-purpose company Mable.
Coinciding with International Day of People with Disability, the Mable research highlights the disparity between people with disability in Australia and how they are represented in media, with a huge 98 per cent calling for greater representation of people with disability in the media.
Poor representation of people with disability
Inclusivity in sport is deemed to be the best reflected area in the media, with almost a quarter (24.75 per cent) of those surveyed saying they felt people with disability were represented ‘well’ or ‘very well’ in the competitive arena.
However, areas of growth where ratings were ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ for representation of people with disability include: business at 79.2 per cent; music at 77.22 per cent; movies or film at 73.26 per cent; and news and media at 71.28 per cent.
“The survey results are disappointing to see, but sadly they’re also unsurprising,” said Mable CEO and Co-Founder Peter Scutt.
“People with disability are their own individual – with their own likes, dislikes and passions. At Mable, we feel strongly that communities like media, arts, music and sport should represent the people who live in them. Since 2014, Mable has provided millions of hours of support to help people with a disability to connect with their passions and their communities. We’re passionate about driving awareness of the representation problem in Australia and fight for inclusivity for people with disability.”
