ABSTRACT
Media coverage of athletes with physical disabilities often overemphasizes successes while downplaying failures. The coverage focuses more on disability rather than athletic performance, even when highlighting disability is considered positive publicity for the athlete. For example, media professionals often emphasize the amazing feats an athlete with a disability reaches when he or she “overcomes” disability to perform an athletic accomplishment at an elite level. The common description is that these athletes perform at high levels in spite of their disability. While in many cases those accomplishments merit great praise and recognition, patronizing athletes with disabilities simply for competing marginalizes athletic accomplishments and emphasizes disability. This patronization and emphasis on disability is seen through the misuse of language. Media professionals commonly use phrases and labels that are not always preferred by people with disabilities, such as “handicapped”, “disabled athlete”, or “special”. These terms can be offensive and derogatory to some people with disabilities, although there may be no malicious intent by the sender for the message to be interpreted in this way (University of Kansas Research Center on Independent Living, 2008). It is important here to examine and define those terms in relation to how they are misused while offering suggestions for media professionals.
