Jon Snow and Sian Lloyd support charity appeal for the way people with learning disabilities are shown in the media
News and weather presenters Jon Snow and Sian Lloyd are showing their support for a campaign by The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, which is calling for a change in the way the media represents people with learning disabilities.
The charity is calling on the media to change the language used about those who suffer from a disability in order to tackle the increase in bullying, harassment and hate crime. A report by Respond highlights that people with learning disabilities are more likely to be targeted by hate crime and that in London alone in 2012, incidents of hate crime rose by a third.
As well as campaigning for more positive representation in society and the media, the Foundation, working with a reference group of people with learning disabilities, has produced two guides – ‘Staying Safe on Social Media’ and ‘Staying Safe Out and About’ – to provide tips and advice to help people with learning disabilities stay safe.
The Foundation has also developed a guide for broadcasters giving five tips to help them improve how they represent people with learning disabilities in the media.
The tips are accompanied by a short film where people themselves talk about how they feel they are represented and the changes they want to see made.
Channel 4 news presenter Snow commented: “We have come a long way as broadcasters in understanding and reporting disability. But the often unseen issues surrounding people with learning disabilities are still far from well reported by the media. This guide provides our much needed starting orders”.
The charity are also asking the public to sign a petition calling on Ofcom to stop words like ‘spastic, retard and mong’ being used in the media.