Curating a Culture: The Portrayal of Disability Stereotypes by Paralympians on Instagram

in International Journal of Sport Communication

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Fallon R. MitchellUniversity of Windsor

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Paula M. van WykUniversity of Windsor

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Sara SantarossaHenry Ford Health System

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2021-0030
Keywords:
social media; disability culture; self-presentation
First Published Online:
28 Jul 2021
In Print:
Volume 14: Issue 3
Page Range:
334–355
Restricted access

Through user-generated posts on Instagram, Paralympians’ self-presentation may mitigate stereotypes associated with disability, counteracting negative assumptions. Using content analyses and paired t tests, visual content posted by Paralympians was examined for the portrayal of disability stereotypes. Compared with the social media content of able-bodied athletes, which typically focus on personal and lifestyle aspects, the majority of the Paralympians’ visual content depicted them engaged in sport or fitness-related activities. By posting content that depicts physical competence and elite abilities, Paralympians may change the narrative to promote the capabilities of athletes with a disability. Through the portrayal of sport and exercise engagement on social media platforms, these Paralympians are potentially mitigating disability stereotypes with the intent to curate a culture that is more accepting and inclusive.

Mitchell and van Wyk are with the Dept. of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada. Santarossa is with the Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, USA.

Mitchell (mitch11e@uwindsor.ca) is corresponding author.
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