Disability and Advertising

Abstract: Studies of advertising representations have often focused on important social categories such as class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexuality, but it is less common that the discussion is centered on advertisers' tendency to sell able-bodied perfection. Therefore, this ADText unit focuses on disability and advertising. In addition to defining what is meant by disability and how it forms a complex social category and identity, the unit covers common historical and current representations of disability. Although there are positive signs of change in representing and including people with disabilities in the advertising business, fair and more respectful treatments of people with disabilities are still needed.