Date of Award

10-11-2024

Publication Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Autism;Disability;Media representations;Mobility Impairments;Turner Syndrome

Supervisor

Kathryn Lafreniere

Abstract

The media can have a strong impact on our perceptions of many topics, including disability. Disabled individuals are underrepresented in the media, and many disabled characters are presented in terms of stereotypes. This can have an impact on perceptions of disability, particularly for non-disabled individuals who may not have many interactions with disabled individuals. Additionally, very few studies have been conducted that look at the perspectives of disabled individuals on disability representations in the media. This study sought to address this gap in the literature by using online focus groups of disabled individuals to watch and discuss media representations that have been perceived to be controversial within the disability community. The three disabilities that were the focus of this study were Turner Syndrome, autism, and mobility impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair. The media portrayal that was watched in the Turner Syndrome focus groups was the episode ‘Clock’ from Law and Order: SVU. The media portrayal that was watched in the autism focus groups was the episode ‘Antarctica’ from Atypical, and the media portrayal that was watched in the mobility impairment focus groups was the episode ‘Dream On’ from Glee. The research questions that were the focus of this study were: 1) What are the perspectives about controversial portrayals of various disabilities in the media by individuals who have been diagnosed with those disabilities? 2) How could these portrayals impact perceptions of stigma regarding disabilities? and 3) How can disabled characters be portrayed to be more diverse and nuanced and to reduce stigmatizing beliefs towards disabilities? In total, 34 participants were involved in this study across seven focus groups: three focus groups for Turner Syndrome participants (n=11) (including a pilot test), two focus groups for autistic participants (n=11), and two focus groups for participants with mobility impairments requiring use of a wheelchair (n=12). Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022) was used to identify themes and subthemes. Evaluating perspectives of controversial media portrayals led to two main themes: “I liked that” and “That doesn’t sit right with me”. Participants appreciated disability representations that were relatable and respectful and critiqued disability representations that they could not relate to, featured disability tropes and stereotypes, and those that were felt to be unrealistic based on their disability knowledge or experiences. Participant perspectives regarding how portrayals could impact stigma led to two main themes: “That’s harmful” and “That’s helpful”. Participants felt that media representations of disability could negatively impact stigma by reinforcing ableism and stereotypes and positively impact stigma by subverting stereotypes and educating viewers. The final research question on how disabled characters could be portrayed to be more diverse and nuanced and to reduce stigma led to five main themes: “Address the barriers”, “Celebrate diversity”, “Do your research”, “Give us the stage”, and “Be positive”. Participants wanted to see barriers in the industry for disabled actors removed, greater diversity in disabled characters, increased disability research and consultation, more disabled individuals in front of and behind the scenes, and more positive and nuanced storylines. This study is one of the few that focuses on the voices of disabled individuals regarding how their disabilities are portrayed in the media and details several suggestions for the media and entertainment industries to create more nuanced and diverse disabled characters and storylines.

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