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Disability Inclusive Imagery

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Summary

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Positive representation in imagery makes a difference in how people see themselves and in how others see them. Include images of people with disabilities when selecting or creating images for web pages, social media, marketing materials, posters around the office, and other visual content.

Overview

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One in four people have a disability, but images that we see around us rarely represent these individuals. This unintentional habit of excluding people with disability from our visual awareness makes it seem like disabilities are far less common than they really are. Many cultures are changing this. You are more likely in the past year to see people with disabilities in fashion magazines and on popular TV shows than you were previously.

Not everyone has a visible disability, and not every image has to feature a person with a disability. However, including individuals with visible disabilities in some of your visual content acknowledges their presence and helps show that your organization values them.

Similarly, new repositories of images of people with disabilities are available for use. Because these are fewer than the options that do not include people with disabilities, be intentional about selecting content that is representative. Remember, all nationalities, races, genders and ages include people with disabilities, so pick representative content.

Who is Helped

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People with disabilities and caretakers benefit by seeing themselves represented within their culture and communities. Accurate and affirmative representation is a critical part of self-esteem.

We all benefit from seeing images of people with disabilities that depict real-life settings and situations. Images have a significant impact on our perceptions of other people. Many of us have misconceptions about people with disabilities that are dispelled when we see accurate, representative images of what disability looks like.

Best Practice

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Not every image in a document or website must include people with disabilities. However, people with disabilities should always be represented in some of the images. That representation needs to be diverse, positive, and accurate. Images of people with disabilities should fit in comfortably with depictions of other people.

It is always best to include people with disabilities when making decisions about people with disabilities. Check with an employee resource group or other individuals with disabilities if you have questions or want to see how you are doing.

Include a Diverse Representation of People with Disabilities

Section titled “Include a Diverse Representation of People with Disabilities”
  • People with disabilities are the world’s most diverse minority. Choose images that represent this diversity.
  • Choose images that represent the diversity of disability along with diversity of race, gender, age and other individual characteristics.

Choose Positive Images of People with Disabilities

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  • Avoid images that are open to negative interpretations.
  • Avoid negative stereotypes and caricatures.
  • Show people with disabilities in images portraying the general population.
    • Show people in natural groupings, settings, and situations.
    • Show people performing everyday tasks.
  • Avoid showing people with disabilities only when talking about disabilities.

Ensure Images of People with Disabilities are Accurate

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  • Show images of people with disabilities using assistive technology and devices.
    • Make sure images showing assistive technology and devices are correct.
  • Choose images that show a disability in a variety of different ways.
    • For example, not everyone who is blind wears dark glasses and has a seeing-eye dog.
  • Include representations of people with hidden disabilities (also called “invisible disabilities”) in images.
    • Remember that not all disabilities are visible when looking at a person.

Ensure Text Alternatives for Images Are Inclusive

Section titled “Ensure Text Alternatives for Images Are Inclusive”

All images must have a text alternative that describes them for people who cannot see them. You must be thoughtful about describing any image of people so that your descriptions are inclusive of race, gender, age, and disability. Make sure your descriptions consider context and accurately represent individuals.

Disability-Specific Image Sets

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These collections are focused on images of people with disabilities.

Image Repositories that Include People with Disabilities

Section titled “Image Repositories that Include People with Disabilities”

These repositories include a sizable collection of images of people with disabilities represented across all aspects of life. Each link opens a search results page for the term “disability.” You can refine the search through words or filters to show specific disabilities, locations, or license models.

References

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