Telling stories fairly

Avoid the common traps

Two kinds of stories cause harm:

• Pity stories show people with disabilities as helpless, waiting to be rescued. They raise money but damage dignity and reinforce stigma.
• "Inspiration" stories praise people for ordinary things, such as going to work, as if a disabled life were remarkable just for being lived. Disability activists call this "inspiration porn".

Show people as they are

Good stories show people with disabilities as people with views, skills, families and goals, who face barriers that can be removed. They:

• let people speak for themselves, in their own words;
• show what people do, decide and lead, not only what they receive;
• explain the barriers and what changed;
• avoid "before and after" framing that suggests a person was less valuable before.

Consent

Get informed consent for every story, photo and video, in a format the person understands. Explain where it will be used, for how long, and that they can withdraw. For children, get consent from a parent or guardian and the child's own agreement. Never use images that show a person in a way they would not choose.

Images

• Photograph people doing things, in control of the situation, at eye level.
• Avoid images that focus only on an impairment or show people as passive.
• Write good alt text that describes what matters in the image.

Check with people with disabilities

Ask an Organisation of Persons with Disabilities or the person featured to review the story before publishing.