logo
Richard Rieser
Disability Equality

A Joint British Film Institute and Disability Equality in Education Project

A British Film Institute and Disability Equality in Education Collaboration. Now live on the web.

Check it Out at http://www.bfi.org.uk/disablingimagery

This website provides a wealth of information on how disability has been represented in moving image from the earliest days. The approach is from a disability equality and human rights perspective, which draws on the collective thinking of the Disabled People's Movement. Therefore, whether you are experienced in Media Studies/English teaching and/or have some understanding of disability issues, it's important to read the Introduction and Ways of thinking about disability before moving on to look at the film and teaching sections.

Author of the pack, Richard Rieser of DEE said:-

"Disabling Imagery? will be a great resource for all teachers, across all curriculum areas, wishing to develop their pupils/students thinking about disability, as an equality issue. The pack will help all young people develop a more critical approach to the representation of disabled people in the media".

It has been published by bfi Education in collaboration with Disability Equality in Education, with financial support from the Department for Work and Pensions for the European Year of Disabled People.

Growing inclusion in schools means that disabled children/ students are expected to take part in the curriculum and social life of mainstream schools. Teachers in the UK all have a duty to challenge negative stereotypes of gender, race, ability and disability in the curriculum materials they use.

The resource aims to:

  • Examine critically how commercial, Western - mostly Hollywood cinema, has portrayed disabled people.
  • Develop some ways of thinking about disabled people from a human rights based approach as part of school's wider approach to equality.
  • Looks at ways disabled film-makers and their allies have represented disability in non commercial films.

    • Available as a book and DVD.

    For further information telephone :0207 359 2855.