Media Representation of Disability and Chronic Illness

By Tatiana Corbitt

3 min read

Living with a chronic illness and/or disability can weigh heavily on a person. So when someone with a disability or chronic illness gets any sort of spotlight, it can be inspirational for those in similar shoes! Disability and chronic illness representation in the media is important for many reasons, including this one.

Personally, as a person with narcolepsy, I have seen little to no accurate representation of narcolepsy in the media. Characters with narcolepsy are often written by able–bodied people, with little to no context on what living with the disease is actually like. And it shows!

On the other hand, seeing successful people living with narcolepsy is not only inspirational, but also a great way to spread awareness about the condition. People are often intrigued about how people can handle fame and success along with their disability. It isn’t easy, but a little bit of accessibility can go a long way. That’s why what we do as social health network advocates is so important!

The importance of accurate representation

Accurate disability representation in media can spark conversations and educate viewers about disabilities in several ways. When we feature characters with disabilities in films, TV shows, and other forms of media, this disability representation brings visibility to the experiences and challenges we face. This paradigm shift can prompt able-bodied viewers to notice and engage with the topic of life with a disability or chronic illness. And this can even lead to discussions about disability-related issues.

We can educate people on our condition just by living it out loud in the media

This can increase empathy and understanding, not only for us, but for others living with disabilities or chronic illnesses. When viewers connect with characters with disabilities on an emotional level, it can foster empathy and understanding. Media representation humanizes individuals with disabilities. This allows viewers to better relate to our experiences and challenges.

This emotional connection encourages conversations that promote empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of disability-related issues. As a result, people may find themselves extending empathy towards those in their lives living with disabling or other chronic conditions.

Accurate disability representation in the media challenges assumptions and stereotypes about people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Genuine representations of people with disabilities can help humanize us to viewers. Viewers gain a better understanding of how diverse and talented our community really is! This leads to conversations about the complexities and diversity within the disability community.

It can help others learn about us, too

Not to mention, authentic portrayals of disabilities and chronic illnesses in media can provide viewers with insights into our daily lives. They get to see our struggles, our triumphs, and everything in between. By depicting the real situations faced by people with disabilities, the media can educate viewers about the challenges we encounter, the importance of accessibility, and the need for inclusive policies. These policies extend to the workplace, public settings, and the community overall.

Finally, media representation of people with chronic illnesses and disabilities can serve as a platform for educating viewers about these topics. Through documentaries, news features, and informational content, media can provide in-depth information about different types of disabilities, their causes, and the social, cultural, and political aspects related to disabilities. This educational content can spark conversations among viewers. When this happens, it helps society to become more informed and inclusive towards the disability community as a whole.

Do you know of any famous people living with your condition? How do they discuss their condition (if at all?) How does this representation make you feel?

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The SocialHealthNetwork.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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90sLupusWarrior Member
Thank you. I certainly will.
Kristal Kent Moderator
Very Poignant and great insight! Thank you for sharing this As a whole, representation of individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses in mainstream media, tv, movies and commercials is dismal. Even more so with lack of representation of those with rare conditions. 1 area with lack of representation patients are pharmaceutical commercials. I often find it a bit cringe when companies use paid actors, versus patients, for their products and treatments. Fortunately, with social media and more independent film makers, we are seeing better representation. Unfortunately, this hasn’t translated as well into mainstream media yet. On another note, there are a few celebrities with my medical conditions and I’ve done interviews and even pharmaceutical commercials. However, it is not always a realistic representation of the day-to-day lives of people with my medical conditions because we do not have the access or financial means to obtain some of the pharmaceutical and/or non-pharmaceutical treatments these famous people have access to. That said, with exception of one famous person, all the other celebrities who have done interviews or commercials for pharmaceuticals, have failed to highlight their opportunities, and lack of barriers to healthcare, that the rest of the community they represent contend with on a daily basis. I appreciate them promoting awareness of my medical conditions, but they are not actively advocating to eliminate barriers that the rest of the community face with our medical condition. If these celebrities could bridge that gap, I feel it would help not only promote awareness and support, but eliminates some of the barriers that people contend with in the healthcare system, and obtaining affordable treatments.
90sLupusWarrior Member
Unfortunately I don’t know anyone who-suffers from this disease.
1. 90sLupusWarrior Member
 <inline-mention username="DonnaFA" user-id="8759780"/> i don’t know anyone with narcolepsy. But in regards to LUPUS… This is so true. Growing up people didn’t mention Lupus let alone on television. The past few years many stars have come out and mention that they suffer from lupus and that’s a blessing because it puts us on a larger scale. But when I saw different tv shows and actors are their character would have a Lupus diagnosis it blew my mind and I felt so honored and proud that we were cling to the forefront. I’m like WOW! This is so AMAZING! That’s sooooo fierce. 
2. DonnaFA Community Admin
 <inline-mention username="90sLupusWarrior" user-id="9888812"/>, it is amazing to feel seen! And it's wonderful to not feel isolated and "strange". I'm glad you've found that with Lupus. Have you checked some of the content from our patient leader Tatianna Corbitt? She writes about narcolepsy. - Warmly, Donna (Team Member)