Media Guidelines
Are you about to write, film or photograph a piece about a person with Down syndrome? We have developed some guidelines about how to be respectful when reporting about people with Down syndrome.
It’s important that you make sure people with Down syndrome are portrayed as real people. It is not helpful to make them out to be heroic, inspirational, victims, or sufferers.
This page may help you to present the person and their story in a sensitive and respectful way. You can also download the Media Guidelines as a PDF.
Before you start
| Think about… | Because… |
| If it’s not essential to the story, do you need to focus on or include the person’s disability? | People with a disability are people first – they are not all the same or defined by their disability. |
| It is important that you give the person with Down syndrome a chance to communicate their experience within the story. | Otherwise, it implies they can’t speak or think for themselves. |
| Portraying the person as part of their community. | People with Down syndrome are not a separate class of people. They have jobs, friends, families, relationships and viewpoints. |
| Trying not to portray people with Down syndrome who achieve great success or physical feats as ‘heroic/inspirational’. | It suggests that it is surprising that people with Down syndrome can achieve great success. |
| Avoiding terms like ‘despite’ and ‘overcoming the odds/adversity’ when describing a person’s achievements. | It implies that people with Down syndrome are limited by their disability and unable to achieve success. |
| Trying not to portray people with Down syndrome who marry/have a job/have children/undertake daily activities as ‘extraordinary’. | It implies that people with Down syndrome are not capable of these things. |
| Being careful not to portray having Down syndrome as a tragedy or an affliction/illness. | Every person with Down syndrome is an individual whose life is valuable and rich. |
| Trying not to divulge too much information about the person. | Those with Down syndrome, like others in the community, can be targets of violence and crime. Also, like people without a disability they choose to share personal information as they see fit. |
Pre-interview
Along with your usual pre-interview research and preparation, some things you might like to consider when interviewing a person with a disability are:
- Have you thought about the right interview location, e.g. accessible via ramps/lifts/accessible parking/accessible toilet? (if applicable!)
- Will the interviewee require any additional support, for example an attendant carer or a sign language interpreter?
- Instead of assuming what a person may or may not need – ask the person if they need anything.
During the interview
When interviewing a person with Down syndrome, it’s important to take a moment to think about your approach. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:
- Ask the person how they feel – every person is different and can view their disability differently.
- Ask them how they would like their disability to be described.
- Make sure you focus on the person during the interview, even if a carer, friend or family member tries to speak on their behalf. It is important the person with a disability is heard.
- In many instances you will need to allow the person time to provide their answer.
- Ask the hard questions (if the disability is central to the story) – don’t assume a person with a disability will be too sensitive to talk about the way they deal with certain tasks in their life.
Photos, video and TV
How people with Down syndrome are represented visually is just as important as the language used to describe them. This list provides a guide for photographing or filming people with a disability:
- Use photos that show the person with a disability in a way that is positive and respectful, not as a victim or someone to be pitied.
- Refer to the person’s disability only if it is critical to the story.
- Try not to include the person’s carer or family unless it is absolutely necessary to support the person or central to the piece – show them as independent.
- Avoid cutting away to equipment like wheelchairs when filming – focus on the person, as you would in any other interview, unless it is central to the story.
- Unless this is the focus of the story, try not to show the person in isolation. Many people with Down syndrome are active in the community.
Language
While it won’t always be possible, consider these language preferences wherever you can.
Some of the more common misused terms and recommended alternatives are provided here. The key consideration is to always put the person first, not the disability.
| Do use | Instead of |
| Person with a disability Person with Down syndrome, for example: John has Down syndrome | Disabled/the disabled/victim of/suffers from/handicapped/special/stricken with/unfortunate |
| Person with an intellectual disability | Mentally disabled/intellectually challenged |
| Person with Down syndrome | Down’s person/Down’s child |
| Accessible toilet/accessible parking space/accessible entry | Disabled toilet/disabled parking space/disabled entry |
| Person who uses a wheelchair | Confined to a wheelchair/wheelchair bound |
| Person without a disability | Normal/non-disabled |
A final checklist
Have I checked?
- Is the story about a person’s disability? If not, don’t mention it.
- Is the person or their disability described appropriately? (See language section)
- Does the piece use excessive emotive language? e.g. tragedy/triumph.
- Is the headline/teaser appropriate? Try to use the person first principle.
- Are the visuals sensitive and appropriate? (See photos, video and TV section).
- Are there quotes/grabs from the interviewee?
- What is Down syndrome?
- Do I need to contact Down Syndrome Australia for expert comment?
*Much of this information has been sourced from the Victorian Office For Disability resource ‘Reporting it Right’.
Media Contacts
National media enquiries
Please contact Down syndrome Australia for national media enquiries:
media@downsyndrome.org.au
1300 344 954
Contact your state or territory association for local media opportunities on your area.
