What barriers do disabled journalists face?

People with disabilities often face challenges in employment, not only as a result of the disability but also because of a lack of understanding or accommodations from employers. This can be seen in journalism, with the National Council for the Training of Journalists reporting that only around 16% of individuals are classified as disabled.

Accessibility

Accessibility is always one of the key concerns for someone with a disability. Not every sports journalism course from providers such as https://schoolofjournalism.co.uk/journalism-courses/sports takes place in an accessible setting or has resources to support students with disabilities.

This can continue in the workplace. Employers are legally required to make reasonable adjustments, but people with disabilities need to be able to ask for and fight for them if necessary.

Perspective

Whilst it is important and valuable to have disabled perspectives when reporting on stories that involve disabled people and issues, employers sometimes seem to believe that if a journalist has a disability, they can only report on disability rather than the range of topics covered by everyone else. Conversely, other employers may refuse to allow journalists with disabilities to report on disability-related stories because of perceived bias.

Out of the office

Journalism is not just about sitting in an office behind your computer. You may also be expected to physically attend out-of-work functions, which can be particularly challenging if you have a limited amount of energy.

There are many ways that journalists with disabilities can make meaningful contributions to the profession, particularly with the unique perspectives they can offer, but only if understanding and support improve.