The best (and worst) NZ media framing as the Paralympics begin

Reducing our communities to stereotypes often becomes a popular sport every four years around the time of the Paralympic Games. Inspiration porn or ‘superhuman’ storylines, anyone? However, most athletes want to be known for their sporting accomplishments, just like their non-disabled peers.

In anticipation of the usual clangers, we trawled through countless headlines from the mainstream media to see how their stories about the Paralympics are framed. And to be fair, we were overall quite impressed; we didn’t even come across any ‘wheelchair-bound’ athletes, shock, horror!

We love:

1News: 'Paralympics helps bring disability understanding to young Kiwis'

Using sport as a vehicle for positive social change? Say less! While many non-disabled sports are content with their stars assaulting women, being caught with class-A drugs and generally being a menace to society, our people are out here educating ngā rangatira mō āpōpō.

Using the global I’mPOSSIBLE resources created by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the local version has been tailored to Kiwi audiences through the use of Te Reo Māori and NZ Sign Language.

Given attitudes towards disability and disabled people are as low as they’ve ever been, coupled with a political climate that casts disabled people as bottom feeders, educating our young people about the diversity of human function seems like a pretty good thing to be investing time and energy into.

The Listener: 'As Paris Paralympics begin, NZ athletes urge greater sport accessibility'

When we're so used to news stories about mobility carparks and toilets, it’s refreshing to see a focus on accessibility to sport. It’s no secret that our options for sports and recreation are more limited than our non-disabled counterparts, for example, a lack of accessible changing rooms. After all, better access to sport and exercise means greater access to community and different ways of moving your body, which is a win-win.

Newsroom: 'Paralympic rider reins in the trolls'

'But you don't look disabled!' is something many of us hear all too often, so it’s great to see this story exploring invisible disabilities. 

“Because I don’t look obviously disabled, people will come up to me and say ‘What’s wrong with you?’ There’s nothing wrong with me. Being different is a great thing,” shares Para-equestrian rider Louise Duncan. 

Unfortunately, the story shares some health-related details that continue the practice of focusing on Paralympic athletes' medical history, which we believe detracts from their sporting accomplishments. 

Stuff: 'Meet our newest Blade Runner: NZ's fastest ever single leg amputee'

While being referred to as a robot from a sci-fi film isn’t something many non-disabled athletes can claim, athlete Mitch Joynt is making the most of being a ‘Blade Runner’. The framing of the article emphasises finding purpose beyond his trauma, something many disabled people go through, particularly after an accident causing an impairment.

Clearly someone who takes a glass-half-full approach to life, Joynt immediately found a silver lining to his injury. “As soon as I lost my leg, I knew the Paralympics was an option,” he told Stuff.  

We're not so sure about:

NZ Herald: 'A horrific childhood - The story of toil and triumph on the road to the 2024 Paralympics'

“What’s wrong with you?” is something we still hear all too often, and honestly, we had hoped the media would be done with trauma-porn openings like this one. Feeling pity towards disabled people is a trope we have no time for in 2024 and so very quickly, this article is starting to feel like a disability stereotype bingo card.

To be clear – these athletes want to be known for their sporting achievements, “[We’re] not asking for sympathy”. If only The Herald would listen.

Radio NZ: 'Paralympics 2024 - Organisers have 'done well to refit' Paris for athletes'

We love an optimistic headline, but let’s be honest, ‘refitting Paris’ is… not a thing. A mere paragraph into this story, all-too-familiar caveats emerge, like the ominous “Transport was proving a challenge” and the classic “one train line had been made accessible”. Like wow, one line, you guys! Tumeke.

Raylene Bates, New Zealand Paralympics’ team chef de mission, told RNZ, “Paris is an iconic city and it's an old city, so originally it wasn't built for wheelchairs etcetera but they've done really well to refit, refurbish and utilise existing facilities and buildings.” Again, we love Raylene’s confidence, but let’s just say that our perspective is tempered somewhat by reality. 

NZ Herald: 'Runner loses leg but wins spot in Paralympics'

Mitch strikes again! And to be clear, he's great, but a headline that frames the Paralympics as a consolation prize for losing your leg, complete with all the 'gory details'? Noooope.

Noting that this is a Kea Kids video, we'd encourage the Herald to be careful with headlines like this. They play a part in conditioning young people to view disabled people as disabled bodies first. After all, disabled athletes are athletes, period.

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