Media portrayal of people with disabilities and coverage of landmark moments in disability history

This thesis takes a historical approach to examine the media coverage of landmark moments in disability history, both in the nineteenth century and during the beginning stages of the Disability Rights Movement in the twentieth century. The thesis illustrates how the media has been instrumental in helping the disability community gain a sense of identity within society, while at the same time reflecting longstanding disability stereotypes and hindering their acceptance. Although the terminology used in the articles improved significantly between the centuries, many of the stigmas that existed about the disability community remained. This study reveals the complexity of the media coverage of disability issues and the differences that arose in articles as coverage changed with each era.