Discuss the ways in which disabled people are represented in the media|? It is important to say that the media has a significant amount of influence to society, however the influence it holds has not always benefited society in representing people in the right way, particularly in relation to disabled people they have not been represented in a positive manner. The media has contributed to the discrimination of disabled people. Media through out the ages has depicted disabled people in a way where they are only shown for their disability. In Shakespeare 1999 (64) points in his article that disability is a impairment. He says "impairment is made the most important thing" this indicates that the audience is only focusing on the impairment as the media has portrayed them in way where their disability is the only way the audience will connect with the characters. Disabled people's inability to interact with people in general is being exploited. However since the mid 1970's there has been much call from the disabled community for society to recognise disabled people as equals to non-disabled people. Non disabled people have become more open and the tension surrounding society when a disabled person enters room has slowly drifted. This change of heart was mainly influenced by the media and how they portrayed disabled people. The role of the media is a major part in changing the attitudes of disability, so when we see, hear anything negative towards disability we should understand that it is the understanding of the producers and directors, their decision and the role of disability in the media is swayed by their opinions and what they believe is the right representation of disabled people. The under representation of disabled in the employment sector has not risen in the 2005 skill resort stated that their was minor changes in employment rate of disabled people and another report stated that the 2.3% of the workforce are disabled. These statistics are not shown in media which indicates that disabled people are misrepresented.