This weekend signals the close of the 2022 Paralympic Games, where more than 564 athletes competed in 78 different medal events. Over its 60-year history, the Paralympic Games have continued to rise in prestige and viewership. Para-athletes and Olympic athletes have similar sponsorship opportunities when they return and are lauded for their feats of strength and skills.
However, there are still some difficulties with how the media covers the Paralympics. Now is an excellent time to review inclusive language practices regarding Beijing and lessons we can learn when looking ahead to the Paris summer games 2024. Here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind.
Do: Mention the Olympics and Paralympics at the same time
The first paralympic games took place in 1960 and have continued to grow in popularity. Jason Diederich, General Manager of APM Communities, competed in the 1988 paralympic games in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the Paralympic Games were held in the same city as the Olympics and used shared infrastructure.
While the Seoul Paralympics were momentous, Diederich points to the 2012 games in London as a leading example of the power of language. Lord Sebastian Coe, president of the London Games, rarely ever mentioned the Olympics in isolation, and always referred to the Olympics and Paralympics together – on equal footing.
People responded to this use of language. Diederich says tickets to the Paralympics were as hard to get as the Olympics, while research shows one in three people in the UK changed their views on disability because of how the games were run and portrayed.
Including the Paralympics when mentioning the Olympics is a small but impactful way to raise its status during the events in Paris.
Don’t: romanticize disability
The role of media in sporting events is to provide a narrative to make people care about the teams and competitors involved. While many people will cheer for their countries, human interest stories paint a picture of the people who wave these flags. However, there’s a significant difference between highlighting a para-athlete’s journey to the starting line and romanticizing their disability.
A common mistake is presenting these athletes as superhuman while putting them on a pedestal because of their life stories. This unwarranted heroism is often also found outside of the Paralympics, as people with disabilities are seen as brave, strong role models just because they have a disability.
It’s possible to build up the games without romanticizing a disability or worshiping someone because of it.
Do: put the athlete first
The Paralympics highlights how a person is more than just their disability. An individual isn’t just a person who is blind or has limb loss. These competitors are athletes who are passionate about their sports and the countries they represent.
As you cover para-athletes and tell their stories, remember to put the athlete and person first. Focus on the training and challenges of competing in the games, not just their disability.
There are times when an athlete may want to talk about their disability and use the Paralympics to raise awareness about their experiences. However, it’s not the role of the media to assume that every para-athlete wants to climb onto that soapbox.
Don’t: hide the disability or gloss over it
Occasionally, some people ignore the disability altogether when they cover the Paralympics. This is well-meaning but can have the opposite effect that para-athletes achieve. The goal of these games is to highlight people with disabilities and their effectiveness in sports. Ignoring the disability can make it seem shameful or taboo to talk about.
A wheelchair rugby Paralympian, Ryan Scott, says he often notices kids looking at him and asking their parents why he uses a wheelchair. Trying to be polite, the parents will tell their kids that it’s rude to talk about the disability or point it out. Scott says he would rather have the kids ask him because it creates an opportunity to discuss disabilities openly and normalizes them.
Don’t: use negative language
Negative language positions people with disabilities in an incapable light. It uses words and phrases like victim, suffering, and tragedy to describe the subject of discussion. For example:
- Tragedy struck the family when they learned she had Autism.
- She suffers from blindness.
- He is a victim of polio.
Negative language is also used regarding assistive technology. Instead of highlighting the value of these items, negative language disparages them and showers pity on the people who use them. For example:
- He is confined to a wheelchair.
- She is forced to use a cane to get around.
- They get by with a screen reader.
These sentences make it seem like the user is suffering and has a lower quality of life either with the devices or because of them.
The verbs to have and use can go a long way in creating neutral and positive language when discussing people with disabilities. For example, she has a limited vision which is why she uses a screen reader. The sentence is both factual and unbiased.
Don’t: compare para-athletes to non-disabled competitors
Another term that you can remove from your Paralympics coverage is able-bodied. This is a word used to describe people without disabilities but is considered inappropriate. First, comparing people with disabilities to those without continues to call out how different they are.
Think about the context with which this phrase is usually used: he can get around just as well as his able-bodied counterparts. Within this sentence, you can see how the term able-bodied is used to position someone as "normal," while the subject with the disability is either considered heroic for their efforts or resilient despite their condition. Neither context is flattering.
Instead, use people-first language.
Do: develop inclusive language guidelines
Whether you are discussing the Paralympics for a media outlet or creating content for social media, develop guidelines for inclusive language. You can turn to these editorial rules whenever you need a refreshment on negative language or discussing athletes and people with disabilities.
The Paralympics is an excellent time to develop these inclusivity guidelines, but you can continue to use them long after the games conclude.
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