Physical Disability on Children's Television Programming: A Content Analysis

Abstract

Research Findings: Media representations of physical disability can influence the attitudes of child audiences. In the current study, the depiction of physical disability was analyzed in more than 400 episodes of children's television programming to better understand how media depict physical disability to children and, in turn, how exposure may influence children's attitudes toward this social minority. Characters with a physical disability were rare. When present, characters with a physical disability tended to be older White males. The disabilities were not central to the characters' importance, but the characters themselves were not central to the plot. A majority of characters with a physical disability were depicted as morally good, attractive, and satisfied with life. Able-bodied characters were shown as treating characters with a physical disability the same way they treated other able-bodied characters. Practice or Policy: The results of the current study could be utilized by policymakers, media professionals, and educators in an effort to increase depictions of physical disability in children's programming as a method of integrating individuals with physical disabilities into a predominantly able-bodied society.