Meg Pelly's Sports Blog

The way that disability is understood varies widely depending on the perspective of the viewer. The medical model views disability as a defect of the person affected, and that the disability is something that should be fixed. The biopsychosocial model views disability as a more holistic approach, and that there are both social and psychological aspects that impact biological disabilities.  Taking a deeper look at the medical model of disability, it views disability as something that needs to be "fixed". It sees disability as such a negative thing, and that the impairment is a direct result of illness, physical disability, or cognitive disorder.  This model also neglects to acknowledge that there are other factors, such as social, psychological, or environmental factors that create barriers or obstacles for those with a disability. This approach is traditional and quite outdated. It sets those with a disability up to be viewed as hopeless and less than able bodied people....

  The media coverage of sports involving athletes with disabilities is severely underrepresented and under appreciated by the population. Most of the time, media coverage of people with disabilities cast a negative light on their character or situations. The media should do a better job at portraying disabled people in a light that is both positive and inclusive to further increase appreciation of all types of athletes.  In order to increase the presence of disabilities in the media and in sports, the media must do tons of work to break down existing stereotypes and rebuild positive views of disabled persons.  The media often portrays athletes and people with disabilities as "helpless" or as a "hero". The media creates a message that those with disabilities lie somewhere on this  spectrum  and can sometimes be inaccurately represented. By providing viewers with more background, or sharing the stories of those with disabilities in the media, they can then create ...