In honor of the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Disability Rights Center – NH and the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire co-hosted “Disability and the Media: A Free ADA Anniversary Discussion”. NH film maker, Dan Habib moderated as panelists Imani Barbarin, Andrew Pulrang, and Emily Ladau discussed disability representation in the media today, and practical strategies for the audience to employ and amplify the voices of people with disabilities in both traditional and non-traditional media outlets.
If you missed this event or just want to rewatch it, please see the links below:
View a recording of “Disability and the Media: A Free ADA Anniversary Discussion”
Download the event chat stream
Some additional resources referred to during the event
Road Map for Inclusion: Changing the Face of Disability in Media
Disability Language Style Guide
Some panelist recommendations for who to follow on social media
- @SFdirewolf
- @maysoonzayid
- @jilly_peppa
- @VilissaThompson
- @Keah_Maria
Original Event Details
Disability and the Media: A Free ADA Anniversary Discussion
How can we better engage with the media to elevate the stories and share the experiences of people with disabilities?
Mainstream news coverage largely leaves disability out of its programming despite disability being a cross-over issue for almost every topic. When a person with a disability is covered, they are often portrayed as someone to inspire or pity rather than respect. To counter this lack of representation, people with disabilities and members of the disability community are turning to sources outside of traditional media programming to elevate coverage of disability issues.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Disability Rights Center – NH and the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire are co-hosting a free, public webinar: “Disability and the Media”. Panelists will discuss disability representation in the media today, and practical strategies for the audience to employ and amplify the voices of people with disabilities in both traditional and non-traditional media outlets.
The Panelists
Imani Barbarin
Imani Barbarin is a disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who uses her voice and social media platforms to create conversations engaging the disability community. Born with cerebral palsy, Imani often writes and uses her platform to speak from the perspective of a disabled black woman. In the last few years she has created over a dozen trending hashtags that allow disabled folk the opportunity to have their perspectives heard while forcing the world to take notice. Imani holds a Masters in Global Communications from the American University of Paris, and runs the blog CrutchesAndSpice.com and a podcast of the same name. She currently serves as the Communications Director for a nonprofit in Pennsylvania.
- CrutchesandSpice.com
- Twitter: @Imani_Barbarin
- Facebook: Facebook.com/CrutchesandSpice
- Instagram: @Crutches_and_Spice
Emily Ladau
Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, speaker, and communications consultant whose career began at age 10 when she appeared on Sesame Street. She is the Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives on the disability experience through an intersectional lens. Emily also co-hosts “The Accessible Stall Podcast,” which dives into disability issues. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times and HuffPost and she has spoken before numerous audiences, from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. More about Emily’s work can be found on her website, Words I Wheel By. Follow her on Twitter at @emily_ladau.
- Twitter: @emily_ladau
- Instagram: @Emlad729
Andrew Pulrang
Andrew Pulrang is a freelance writer on disability, an online activist, and a former Center for Independent Living director. He is a contributing writer for Forbes.com. Andrew is also a co-partner of #CripTheVote, a nonpartisan online movement encouraging the political participation of disabled people with Gregg Beratan and Alice Wong. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewPulrang.- Disabilitythinking.com
- Twitter: @AndrewPulrang
- Instagram: @Apulrang
Moderated by filmmaker Dan Habib
Dan Habib is the creator of the award-winning documentary films Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS, and many other short films on disability-related topics. Habib is a filmmaker at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability. His newest documentary, Intelligent Lives, examines our society’s narrow perceptions of intelligence.
This webinar is free and will be live captioned.
Event Contact: Deodonne Bhattarai, NH Disability Rights Center
Live captioning and ASL interpreting supported by the NH Bar Foundation Advancement of Justice Fund.
