The following prompts are based on this article

 

What points are raised in this article about portrayals of disability in advertising? 

The main point that was presented in this article included the idea that most of the time, disability is absent from advertising – with the exception of ads centred around the topic itself. Rarely do ads include disabled people completing daily activities such as cooking or cleaning – as the advertising industry does not choose to show the correlation between these two variables. Additionally, another point was raised that portrayals of disability are often easy to get wrong as they conform to the labels and social stigmas associated with society – where people are categorized into groups that reflect nothing of their own individuality. 

From the perspective of Ade Adepitan (Award-winning paralympian), he believes that modern society is much too generalised – as disabled groups within society are not reflected and represented as much as non-disabled groups. He suggests that as long as these ads are filmed, portrayed, and cut in the right way – people will show interest, regardless of whether a disabled or non-disabled person is filling the role. While on the contrary, disability at times remains a grey area as people are unaware of and do not have a direct connection to a disabled person in their lives – meaning that they may feel a slight discomfort. He notices that within the advertising industry, there is often a fear of stepping away from these societal norms regarding disability – as disabled people are defined by their disabilities above all else. 

How do other adverts compare to the points of view raised in this article? 

With reference to the 1980’s public service Ad, which features a disabled woman typing in a wheelchair, and the quote “You don’t have to walk to type” in bold black print – this ad demonstrates a definite portrayal of the idea that disabled people are only cast in ‘disabled roles’. Within the advert itself, the woman’s wheelchair is immediately apparent as it is pictured in the frame more than her typing hands are. Her disability is not represented subtly, but in a very blunt and straightforward manner – as the subtext reads “Because being able to walk has nothing to do with being able to type”. This, therefore supports the idea presented by Ade Adepitan in the article that people are defined by their disabilities above all else. Where even though the ad is trying to break down the stigmas surrounding disability, bluntly stating the disability itself draws attention to the fact that hiring disabled people does come with implications.

On the contrary, the 2015 Honey Maid Ad portrays an aunt and her niece making snacks in the kitchen using the Honey Maid crackers, with no explicit mention of the aunt being in a wheelchair. The aunt’s disability remains hidden until the very end of the ad when the camera zooms out and the two are pictured enjoying the snack that they made together. This challenges the article’s idea that disabled people are not represented within adverts that involve completing daily activities. Instead, this ad demonstrates a lack of conformity to the social stigmas and labels that disabled people are categorised into – as an able-bodied person could have been cast into the Aunt’s role as well. Furthermore, in relation to the point raised by Ade Adepitan that people remain unaware of disability as they have no direct connection to a disabled person in their lives, this Ad subtly sheds light on the fact that Honey Maid is wholesome and brings people together, regardless of whether or not they may be disabled.

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