A NEW FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY OF PHOTOGRAPHS
https://ageing-better.org.uk/news/picture-yourself-active-images-of-older-disabled-people
https://ageing-better.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/Age-positive-image-library-May-21.pdf
Get Yourself Active at Disability Rights UK and the Centre for Ageing Better have launched Picture Yourself Active, which is a new, publicly accessible image library of over 300 photos depicting older and disabled people getting active to challenge pervasive negative stereotypes.
“Photos of disabled people also often rely on negative stereotypes. From the classic “hand on the shoulder” photo to only focusing on those whose impairments are easily seen, these stereotypes aren’t just offensive, but indicate that Disabled people are a sad spectacle. There are also several commonly used negative and stereotypical depictions of getting older, such as the pictures of ‘wrinkly hands’ or the dominance of walking sticks.”
“It’s vital that this library exists to challenge stereotypes and communicate a more diverse representation of what it means to be both older and disabled.
To ensure the project was reflective of our community, we worked with disabled people to design the brief, and state the dos and don’ts for photographers or anyone looking to capture images of disabled or older people, to follow so they can be confident that their work is an honest reflection.
We wanted these images to capture the reality of getting active and leave disabled people finally feeling empowered and happy about how they’re represented.
This is just the start. We want to see organisations take on the learning and advice that our project provides to ensure that the lives of disabled people in later life are no longer reduced to lazy stereotypes. We have seen positive change happen in and around us over the last few years, we want our project to push this forward.”
https://ageing-better.org.uk/news/picture-yourself-active-images-of-older-disabled-people
