The Triple Whammy: Athletes’ Perspectives on the Reporting of Women in Disability Sport
摘要
Sports media has the power to challenge outdated perceptions of disabled people both on and off the field of play. Through their reporting of both disability-specific and inclusive sporting events, sports journalists can not only report on the sport they are covering but also influence how society sees disability and disabled people. However, despite the increased visibility of disability sport, particularly every four years during the Paralympics, the framing that is being used to tell disabled athletes’ stories still isn’t necessarily the most effective way to make the greatest impact on inclusive representations, particularly when reporting on female disabled athletes. In this chapter I examine female athletes’ perspectives of how ableism, stereotypes and visibility of disability affect how the achievements of women in disability sport in general are covered, whilst also examining the historical contexts in which these narratives have emerged. Three common themes were found in the data, gathered through interviews with women involved in disability sport in the UK from grassroots to elite level, that impact on their experience and representation: (i) the existence of ableism, (ii) stereotypes that surround disabled women in sport and (iii) the hierarchy of disability within the sports media. In short, The Triple Whammy.