Michael Haider, a sophomore at Edinboro University, has strong feelings about how people with disabilities are portrayed by news media and other agencies.

	John Beale, Post-Gazette Tina Calabro praised this June 2003 photo of graduates from Spectrum Charter School for young people with autism as a "thoughtful portrayal of disability (actually, ability)." Pictured are James Gaddis of Chartiers Valley, left, and John Weaver of Norwin. Click photo for larger image.

While a senior at Avonworth High School, he wrote a letter to a newspaper editor criticizing the language used in a story about a program for kids with physical disabilities.

The article had described one program participant as a "cerebral palsy victim," another as "confined to a wheelchair." Haider was offended by these characterizations. "The [participant with cerebral palsy] is not a victim," he stated in his letter. "A wheelchair is a mode of transportation, not a prison."

"I, myself, am a young man with cerebral palsy," explained Haider. "I use a wheelchair.... I am not a victim. I am a person."

He is not alone in taking the media to task for its portrayal of people with disabilities. For several years, disability advocates have urged the media to put more thought into their coverage and to avoid emotion-laden cliches and stereotypes. Words and images about people with disabilities should convey respect, not pity, advocates say.

As a society, we've come a long way from using demeaning terms such as "crippled," "midget," "deaf and dumb," "mental defective" and the like. Moreover, people are beginning to understand the subtle differences between disability-related terms. For example, that the word "disability" is preferable to "handicapped" (a word derived from the image of a person with a cap in hand, begging for money). However, positive public awareness is far from complete.

	Putting the person first Many disability organizations encourage the use of person-first language, which places emphasis on the person rather than the disability. Use: People with disabilities. Not: Disabled or handicapped people. Here is other preferred wording: Use: The person "has" a condition. Sam has autism. Not: Sam is autistic. Use: Joe uses a wheelchair. Not: Joe is wheelchair-bound or confined to a wheelchair. Use: Joe has epilepsy. Not: Joe is afflicted with or suffers from epilepsy. Use: Accessible parking or bathroom. Not: Handicapped parking or bathroom. Use: Nondisabled to describe someone without a disability. Not: Normal person.

Many disability organizations encourage the use of "person-first" language -- phrasing that puts the person, not the disability, first. (See accompanying story.)

The Associated Press Stylebook, a reference guide for journalists, has contained guidelines since 1987. A more candid resource is Beyond the AP Stylebook, which can be found on the Web site of Ragged Edge Magazine, www.raggededgemagazine.com.

Why so much concern about how the media present disability? Because the media influence public attitudes, and consequently, the success with which people with disabilities gain access to the mainstream of life -- from classrooms to workplaces.

Media professionals are in a position to take the lead on progressive portrayals of people with disabilities. But too often, stories and information about people with disabilities contain outdated cliches and stereotypes. They often include descriptions such as someone who "suffers from" some condition or has "bravely overcome" one. Stories about people with disabilities tend to be patronizing at one extreme and bursting with admiration at the other. The reality -- people who are neither helpless nor heroic -- is too rarely seen.

Media coverage of disability is almost always from the point of view of human interest, observed Edinboro student Haider in a recent interview. "Someone is afflicted with something and then they overcome it. Like the person could do nothing and then could do everything."

Not that human interest stories shouldn't be done, he said, but the media "overdo" them. "People do overcome obstacles and it is inspiring, but that's not all there is to it. What happens next is also important. You overcome an obstacle so you can achieve something else. It's just the beginning of the story, not the end of it."

Indeed, going beyond the feel-good, inspiring stories and into the complex reality of people with disabilities is a huge leap. Not surprisingly, advocates often complain that the media fail to pay serious attention to the most pressing issues that face this minority group, for example, unemployment and inadequate health care.

Like the news media, advertising, public relations and marketing professionals also have the power to shape perceptions about disability. An effort to educate this segment of the media -- a CD and booklet entitled "Your Guide to Accessible Advertising" -- is being published this summer by the Disability Connection office of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Noting that the 54 million people with disabilities in the United States comprise a significant market, the guide asks why people with disabilities are not more visible in advertising. It gives suggestions about appropriate portrayal.

"Disability is simply a facet of a person, not a person's defining characteristic," the guide tells advertisers. To obtain a copy, call Disability Connection at 1-877-755-5222. In many instances, the media do provide progressive and thought-provoking representations of people with disabilities. These stories and images stimulate new ways of thinking and introduce new technologies, treatment options and concepts like universal design. As such familiarity grows, inclusion and acceptance undoubtedly follows.

So let's put simplistic images of disability in the past, where they belong. Give people respect; don't pat them on the head. The media have the power to help the public realize that people with disabilities are people first. Real people -- not just heroes or helpless beings. That realization can change people lives.