Representations of disability: a longitudinal study of the press

Abstract

In this paper, we will present the results of a study on the social representations of disability found through media analyses of three information print media outlets in Portugal from 2009 to 2013. Quantitative analyses were conducted to assess news variables, disability variables and media awareness of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as the news framing mechanisms used. Qualitative assessments were also conducted on sampled articles to examine specific features in media discourse that enable and construct news framing. Implications of these results are discussed as a key dimension to understand the current human rights situation of persons with disabilities in Portugal.