Disabled people often not seen in media and advertising content, new research finds

Other key findings include:

• A third (32%) of UK adults surveyed had not seen any disability represented in content they had seen, watched or read during the last 6 months.
• Images of wheelchair and mobility scooter users are the most likely to have been seen in content to represent disability (by 26% of respondents).
• Less than a quarter (23%) of people with a disability* surveyed agreed that images of disabled people used in content they had seen, watched or read reflected their own experience of disability.

Technical note
On behalf of Business Disability Forum, Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 6,777 adults aged 16-75 in the UK on the i:omnibus online. This included 2,326 adults who consented to having personal health data collected and said they had at least one of a list of physical or mental health conditions or impairments. Data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions for age and working status within gender as well as government office region, social grade and education. Fieldwork was conducted 3rd November - 12th December 2023.

* The question asked to establish if someone in the survey had a disability was: 
Q. Do you have any of the following physical or mental health conditions or impairments that have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities? 

1. Deafness / hearing loss
2. Blindness / sight loss
3. Speech impairment
4. Mobility impairment, e.g., difficulty walking
5. Facial difference, e.g., cleft lip/palate, facial tumours, extensive scars, etc.
6. Limb difference, e.g., full or partial limb loss, etc.
7. Skin conditions, e.g., psoriasis, eczema, rosacea or vitiligo, etc.
8. Dexterity related, e.g., tremor, grip, hand strength issues related to long term conditions etc.
9. Musculoskeletal, e.g., arthritis, osteoporosis or spinal conditions, etc.
10. Memory related, e.g., brain injury, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, etc.
11. Learning disability, e.g., Down’s syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc.
12. Mental health condition, e.g., bipolar disorder, PTSD, etc.
13. Neuro-diverse related, e.g., dyslexia, ADHD, autism, etc.
14. Energy limiting condition e.g., chronic fatigue, ME, etc.
15. Other long-standing health conditions or disabilities
16. No long-standing physical or mental health conditions, impairments or disabilities
17. Prefer not to say

• Picture on landing page provided by the Business Disability Forum