The press has been adding more and more articles about disability. However, although this is a positive step, it has had a largely negative affect on how society perceive us. According to a report from The University of Glassglow, Bad News for Disabled People: How the newspapers are reporting disability there was an 30% increase of articles featuring disability in 2011 but there was also an 18% increase of negative labels to describe disability,
although they are no longer ones that link to our disability such as "cripple" but ones that actually describe us as thieves, such as "scrounger", "cheat", "skiver" and accusations that it is a "lifestyle choice". So lets point out a few people that fall outside this category, those that do not steal money from the economy that they do not need, whose tax would actually go into the benefit system in the first place, just like everyone else:
Stephen Hawking, the most famous disabled individual on earth, a Cambridge University Professor in mathematics, an author, born in Oxford in 1942, attended university in Oxford, before he contracted motor neurone disease in 1963. He was given the life expectancy of 2 years. He didn't let his disability stop him from achieving
Cerrie Burnell, a presenter on Cbeebies, songwriter, actress, playwright and a children's author. Her missing arm didn't stop her from achieving her dream, she's not staying at home and living on benefits, like the article above suggests.
Albert Einstein had a learning difficulty.
John Milton English poet, grew blind with age, but still created his poetry.
Robin Williams was diagnosed to be suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
David Weir, Sarah Storey and Ellie Simmonds, all athletes who have won more than one gold medal in the sport that they enjoy.
Ludwig van Beethoven, composer of classical music, was deaf when writing the pieces we know now as his symphonies.
Thomas Edison, Considered as having a learning difficulty, was actually deaf.
There are many more out there, but lets hear from you, tweet your achievements, or post on my page and I'll quote your achievements here, anything you see as an achievement. Lets work together to change the media.