Disability Rights Analysis

There were four distinct perspectives that framed the stories analyzed for this study. These are the bio-medical perspective, the heroic or overcoming perspective, the charity or feel good perspective and the rights perspective (adapted from Haller 2003, 2010).

The first of these perspectives – the bio-medical perspective - frames disability as a biological, genetic or medical story, characterized as an individual physiological or psychological condition understood through medicine or medical knowledge (Oliver, 1990). In the second perspective, disability is framed as a heroic individual story or a story of a person who has overcome a disability. Emphasis is often placed on individual resilience, and the ability to overcome a disability or achieve high standards despite the disability. The third perspective characterizes disability within a charitable context and often individuals are portrayed in the news stories as victims (Barnes & Mercer, 2010). These types of stories are alternatively framed as feel-good stories about charity work that is provided for programs or events for people with disabilities or frame stories as events that suggest that someone without a disability rescues or saves the individual with a disability. Four, there are a group of stories that are concerned with social, political and economic conditions that impact disability. This perspective is characterized as a rights perspective (Rioux 2003). From this perspective, the individual story is placed in the larger whole of the structural conditions that impact or create disabling barriers for people with disabilities.

The first three perspectives; bio-medical, heroic/overcoming and charity/feel good are all more conventional approaches to disability as they are reflected in the media (Oliver 1990, Oliver & Sapey 2006). While they do raise the issue of disability they do not address the complexity of disability and disabling conditions. The last perspective, the rights perspective is the emerging theoretical and political direction found in the international and national disability movement and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations Enable website, 2011; Rioux 2003, 2010; Quinn & Degener 2002). This perspective is starting to emerge in news stories but is still too rare. This perspective provides a holistic and inclusive lens to look at issues faced by people with disabilities on a day-to-day basis. The first three perspectives focus more singularly on the individual person with a disability, with less attention to the complex structures of society and their impact on the lives and rights of people with disabilities. A rights perspective looks at the larger picture, the social pathology that needs to be addressed in order to understand the complex issues pertaining to, and that create, disability (DRPI website, 2011). This study provides a benchmark from which we are able to begin to monitor any change in the media representation of people and issues related to disability to see if it is changing.

There are five key principles on which a rights approach is grounded: dignity; autonomy; inclusion, participation and accommodation; equality and non-discrimination; and respect for difference (DRPI website, 2011). Finding these in media stories suggests that both the journalist and the audience are gaining a wider perspective on the understanding of disability as a social justice issue, as part of the fabric of groups who are entitled to rights and justice. In reviewing stories in the media, an important element in characterizing stories is whose voice is heard in the story as it is presented. In a rights based story, the voices of people with disabilities are included and validated.

Another important issue in reviewing the media is the language used to describe disability and supports or accommodations related to disability. Even in the stories that were framed by a rights perspective in this study, the language used was often far from respectful and perpetuated negative stereotypes and stigma (Derkson, ---). When someone with a disability was mentioned, it was often stated, for example, that the person suffers from the disability, creating a negative subtext towards the person and the disability. When someone who uses a wheelchair was mentioned, the person was often described as wheelchair bound, characterizing the person as his or her disability device. A movement away from such language may be an indicator of a rights approach. There needs to be a recognition that cognitive, physical, sensory, mental and intellectual differences are a natural part of the human condition and therefore media stories should reflect this reality and use appropriate language in their coverage.

Cluster 1 – Health and Rehabilitation

The largest numbers of stories found in this media study were on issues related to the topic of health. The coverage of health, found in Article 25 and 26 (concerning the right to health, habilitation and rehabilitation) of the CRPD, only in some cases reflected the spirit of the Convention, which affirms that:

Persons with disabilities have the right to the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. They are to receive the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health services as provided other persons, receive those health services needed because of their disabilities, and not to be discriminated against in the provision of health insurance (Article 25). To enable persons with disabilities to attain maximum independence and participation within their community, countries are to provide comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services in the areas of health, employment and education (Article 26) (UNEnable, 2011)

There were three general perspectives reflected in the health-related media stories: medical, heroic/overcoming, and rights. Although the majority of the stories could be classified as having either a medical or heroic perspective many still incorporated a rights angle, while some stories had a predominantly rights perspective.

A prevalent theme within the bio-medical stories was that of medicine as health. Most stories from a primarily medical perspective focused on new and emerging medications, treatments, research, programs, and funding opportunities. An example of such a story is that of the innovative medications being developed, which will personalize medical treatments for patients with psycho-social disabilities:

The DNA testing will provide doctors with a genetic blueprint that will help them with their prescriptions, while the brain imaging tests will be able to show a more complete current picture of where and how much of the medication reaches the brain, [he] said. These tests will tell their doctor how their body manages or does not manage, given medications, he said. The doctor can then use the information to decide whether to give higher or lower doses (Nguyen, 2009).

Although this story brings good news of potentially helpful medications, its emphasis is on the medical advancement rather than the impact on individuals and the systemic implications for the rights of persons with disabilities. The journalist did not make explicit the links between the situation the individual experienced and the CRPD Article 25 right to access drugs and health options specific to their disability. The story did not highlight the potential of new technologies in promoting the rights of individuals with disabilities.

The stories that adopted a heroic or overcoming perspective often focused on an individual's ability to triumph over a challenging disability or difficult medical situation. One example of a heroic story of resilience is that of an accomplished author and journalist, who joined the military and suffered (sic) a severe brain injury while serving as a community liaison officer in Afghanistan. The neurological rehabilitative efforts concerning the mobility and speech of the person were the subject of a documentary airing on CTV and also drew notable coverage from CBC and other leading news outlets:

Canadians were horrified at the news that a fighter had driven an axe into his brain, but are heartened by how far he has come - and impressed by the woman who cheered every baby step along the away… One physician told her to put him in a long-term-care home. She told herself, They didn't know [him]. She was right... It takes a lot of willpower to retrain the brain, to put in the hours of physical and occupational therapy he does every day. He said he is motivated by his love for [his wife] and their four-year-old daughter. Willpower is willing your body to do things you can't do, he said. When I was an athlete, I would use willpower to go beyond the pain. Now I'm willing my legs to flex when I push up (McIlroy, 2009).

Although the journalist described a successful and impressive medical recovery, there was no mention of the significant and appropriate health and rehabilitation services the person received, which he is entitled to in accordance with the CRPD. Without those services, which contributed to his successful recovery, he might not have had such a remarkable recovery. Instead the journalist implies that the person's successful recovery was driven by his determination and the support he received from his wife. The article implies that individual motivation and struggle will lead to recovery for significant disabilities, leaving the reader with the false impression that anyone can achieve this goal.

The stories found in the press with a predominantly rights perspective typically referred to policy changes, protests, and changes to health programs or services. The following story is an example depicting the struggle in Alberta to ensure hospital beds remain available for people with psycho-social disabilities:

Psychiatrists at Alberta Hospital Edmonton are urging the federal health minister to make sure hospital beds for the mentally ill aren't closed. They also raised the spectre of it becoming an international human-rights issue. In a letter sent to [a Federal MP] 19 doctors at the mental hospital warned that depleting health services to mentally ill and marginalized populations could put Canada in line with Australia, which was found by the UN last month to have violated human rights by providing inadequate health care to its aboriginal peoples... the letter outlines how bed closures at Alberta Hospital would not only affect Albertans, but could have dire consequences for aboriginals from the northern territories who rely on the hospital's psychiatric intensive care unit -- one of only two such units in Alberta (Sinnema, 2010).

The journalist pointed out clear rights violations that are the consequence of restricting access to health services, especially for vulnerable aboriginal groups.

Another media article that can be characterized as taking a rights perspective is a Toronto Star article that profiled the innovative services of Toronto's Community Care Centre. The article outlined the Community Care Centre's non-institutionalized care programs for people with disabilities, which allows them to attain independence, while promoting inclusion in society:

It is one of 14 regional hubs in the health-care system, responsible for providing non-hospital services - ranging from post-operative rehabilitation to palliative care - to thousands of Ontarians. Children who need an attendant at school, families who need home care, patients who need medical equipment and seniors who need long-term care are served by their local community care access centre (CCAC). They are the gatekeepers of the non-institutional health-care system... One of the biggest is its home first policy... we take patients home and provide whatever services and supports they need. Since this policy was implemented last December, 50 per cent of seniors have found they didn't need to go to a nursing home. They are now receiving care in their home or living in a retirement residence (Goar, 2009).

This article provided a rights perspective in focusing on the Centre’s health services that promote independence and community inclusion, which are principles of autonomy and participation found in the Convention. The author painted a picture of a community health service that is leading the way in offering health services by promoting individualized care and support.

Although the heroic and medical stories are often individually encouraging, they typically do not highlight the social and political structures that either enable or deny a person with a disability the right to access health and rehabilitation services. Fortunately, the finding of this study in the area of health care suggests that media is moving in the direction of emphasizing rights elements and the social and economic issues of stories on which they are reporting. They appear to be recognizing that rights are important to issues related to people with disabilities when health is concerned.

Cluster 2: Sport, culture and recreation

The coverage of Article 30 (concerning the right to participate in sport, recreation and cultural activities) did not, in most cases where stories were identified in this study, support the spirit of the CRPD. Article 30 of the CRPD declares that:

Countries are to promote participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport by ensuring provision of television programmes, films, theatre and cultural material in accessible formats, by making theatres, museums, cinemas and libraries accessible, and by guaranteeing that persons with disabilities have the opportunity to develop and utilize their creative potential not only for their own benefit, but also for the enrichment of society. Countries are to ensure their participation in mainstream and disability-specific sports (UNEnable, 2011).

Stories related to sport, culture and recreation reflected mainly the heroic or overcoming perspective. A typical example of this type of coverage is an article from the Montreal Gazette entitled, Having her SYTYCDC moment; [Name] has Down's syndrome; but that's no obstacle for the 33-year-old aspiring dancer (Greenaway, 2010). In this article Down’s syndrome is characterized as an obstacle, something that needs to be overcome in order for the dancer to dance. Another example is found in a story from the Ottawa Citizen entitled, A life to write. A high school football accident left Paul Legault, a promising athlete, a quadriplegic in 1975. Since then, the Carleton Place man has married, earned two university degrees, raised two children, coached softball and written books of poetry (Duffy, 2009). The underlying narrative that, even with a disability, a person can achieve exceptional outcomes in life against the odds holds centre stage in this story. Also typical in this area were stories of celebrities who have beaten or overcome their disability to do achieve outstanding things, 'The Fonz' shows kids it's cool to read; Star beat undiagnosed dyslexia to succeed at school; build his acting career and; now; pen children's books (Lafaro, 2009).

Another perspective that was common in this cluster were feel-good charity features, such as stories about special camps for children with disabilities. At first glance these seem to represent the spirit of the CRPD, but closer reflection suggests they are more aligned with the charity model, which portrays people with disabilities as victims of their disability and recipients of charity and pity. These stories are characterized by their focus on an individual story of a person or program and do not pay attention to the larger political, social and economic barriers that exclude people with disabilities from exercising their rights. An example is this story from the Ottawa Citizen entitled, Magical day at Disney has kids flying high (Thaw, 2009). This story highlighted a volunteer organization that organizes trips to Disneyland for children with disabilities; it is characterized by an individual focus on a volunteer group and story of individual experiences. These articles, and others like it, do not include a larger discussion on why charity groups arise and in response to what social injustices; this structural analysis is missing from the news coverage.

Some stories were explicit in their coverage of a human rights issue for people with disabilities. One such article was entitled, Vacationing a human right; EU chief says (Laidlaw, 2010). Other times a story had a rights perspective because it not only echoed the spirit of the Convention, but it paid attention to the diversity of issues surrounding this right, Theatre groups aim to change attitudes about disability (Renne, 2010) and had an emancipatory aspect to them, Everyone has a role on life's stage; Inclusive theatre company draws out and works with talents that aren't always obvious (Birnie, 2010).

Most media stories in this cluster area were from the heroic and overcoming perspective while others were framed as issues about feeling good or providing charity. There were a smaller number of stories from the rights perspective, which is encouraging, but these stories were still quite small in number. Many of the stories written from the charity “feel good” perspective could be easily re-written from a rights perspective. By including a larger narrative on the issues that looks at why charity groups arise in the first place, what gaps charity organizations are filling in response to government policy and programming that does not meet the needs of certain groups of citizens, barriers that exclude people with disabilities from sport and culture in our society, and an emphasis on the voices of people with disabilities in the story would help this shift in perspective.

Cluster 3 – Accessibility, access to justice, standard of living; independent living; education

Coverage of the issues related to those covered in Article 9 (concerning accessibility) of the CRPD largely did reflect the spirit of the Convention, which guarantees that:

On the fundamental issue of accessibility (Article 9), the Convention requires countries to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers and ensure that persons with disabilities can access their environment, transportation, public facilities and services, and information and communications technologies (UNEnable, 2011).

Most stories were written from a rights perspective, taking into account the larger social, political and economic factors that should be included to understand this broad area of rights. In a story from the Ottawa Citizen, the issue of accessibility in Ontario is framed from a rights perspective, and highlights the voice of people with disabilities and their position on this important issue,

[The} chairman of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, says... We are now four years down the road, and we are behind schedule, he said. Yes, progress is being made, but things aren't moving as fast as we would like.... [He] said his group will review the proposed rules on built-form accessibility over the coming weeks and will have submissions to make to the government. He said it's been a struggle to get things to this point, and that there are still people who think the cost of making things accessible for disabled people is too high. However, he said, these people should think twice. We all end up with a disability at some point as we age, he said. All these things, like bus-stop announcements and ramps, help everybody. We are worse off as a province without these things. (Rupert, 2009).

Many of the stories highlighted the importance of the removal of barriers, which disable people in the built environment, an issue which is important from a rights analysis and an encouraging trend in terms of media coverage of these issues.

Media stories portraying people with disabilities in the context of Article 13 (access to justice) were a mixture of stories from more traditional perspectives, with a few from a rights perspective. The CRPD states that people with disabilities are to have access to justice on an equal basis with others (Article 13) (UNEnable, 2011).

A significant number of stories about justice were stories about people with psycho-social disabilities who committed crimes and portrayed the person as a danger to society. In a story in the Calgary Herald entitled, Killing 3 kids an altruistic act; court told; psychiatrist says father was mentally ill (Koopmans, 2009), the focus of the story was entirely on the individual, and no other external or structural factors are recognized or explained. While the crime is clearly troubling and horrific, this type of coverage solely focuses on the person who committed the crime and does not place the event in the larger context in which it happened, which would highlight the complexity of such events, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis.

Furthermore, stories such as these portray psycho-social disability as something inherently dark, dangerous and deviant and re-entrench these negative stereotypes. ⁷

Note #7

For an interesting recent discussion on the issue of deviance and psychosocial disability from the perspective of one Globe and Mail journalist, see Picard 2012.

Return

In most of the media stories the larger structural factors were not included, with coverage principally directed to the individual who committed the crime. A smaller number of articles did acknowledge the structural factors, for example pointing out that the justice and mental health systems were not effective and can exclude or discriminate against people with psycho-social disabilities and are a part of the back story for an understanding of these crimes. In a story from the Toronto Star, this was made explicit,

If this guy had looked like a run-of-the-mill person without a mental illness, a Crown attorney might have been more apt to release the person, says Dr. Helen Ward, clinical director of the forensic program at Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre in Ottawa. But once he's been labelled or seen to be mentally ill, they are less likely. It actually works against him getting released on bail, especially if he's not getting treatment (Freed, 2009).

Here the story had a rights perspective, highlighting the larger picture and not just focusing on the individual as the perpetrator of a dangerous action. It included a balanced discussion of the barriers and stigma that society creates.

There were a number of stories from the rights perspective found in media coverage of the justice system and jurisprudence related to access to justice for people with disabilities. There were legal cases that had been reported to various human rights commission bodies in Canada. A story in the Ottawa Citizen reported on a Federal Court ruling on a human rights case about accessibility that was being appealed. The story featured the voice of a person with a disability and his opinion of the accommodations that were proposed by the city of Ottawa,

Ottawa activist [BB], who has been fighting for equal access to the York Street Steps since August 1999, doesn't believe the elevator is a reasonable solution. We don't want to go someplace down the street, said Brown, who has used a wheelchair since 1972 when he was disabled in a car crash. The human rights complaint against the NCC is one of dozens [he] has pursued during the past two decades. But it is among the most important, he said, because it deals with access for the disabled at an outdoor, public place (Duffy, 2009).

This type of article portrayed the voice of a person with a disability who was affected by the Federal Court ruling. It located the story in a larger picture moving beyond the focus on just the individual to looking at all of the factors that are involved in trying to live inclusively in the community. These types of stories are persuasive in enabling people with and without disabilities to be exposed to a richer and more balanced picture of what causes disablement, the processes of disablement, and how these processes can be addressed and changed by implementing structural solutions

The media coverage of the right to education found in Article 24 (concerning the right to education) largely did not reflect the spirit of the CRPD, which guarantees that:

States are to ensure equal access to primary and secondary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning. Education is to employ the appropriate materials, techniques and forms of communication. Pupils with support needs are to receive support measures, and pupils who are blind, deaf and deaf-blind are to receive their education in the most appropriate modes of communication from teachers who are fluent in sign language and Braille. Education of persons with disabilities must foster their participation in society, their sense of dignity and self worth and the development of their personality, abilities and creativity (Article 24). (UNEnable, 2011)

Many stories had an underlying perspective that emphasized heroic individuals or the stories had the sense that they were telling a story of charity. Although there were a few stories with a rights perspective, they were rare.

These stories often portrayed an individual's struggle to overcome an unaccommodating school system, social stigma, or a battle to defeat a medical condition in the face of obstacles while attending school. An example of this perspective is an article entitled, Little big man: The making of a health care crusader. The story is about a man who had always struggled (sic) with Hunter's syndrome, but with determination, empathy, resilience and promising abilities, he has become an inspiration to many. His story captures this idea:

A few months into eighth grade, a group of boys sent Simon a cartoon strip that depicted him in a wheelchair (he's never used one). The caption read: This school is not for the deformed. The four students were caught and threatened with expulsion. But he convinced the headmaster to keep them in school, so that they could learn to get over their prejudices. Weeks later, after the headmaster had told the rest of the school about the incident, he was running a race at a school track meet. Everyone else had crossed the finish line, but Simon still had two laps to go. By the time Simon was finishing the fourth lap, the entire school was standing, shouting Si-mon, Si-mon. After that, they had an incredible level of respect for him (Ogilvie, 2009).

The journalist who wrote this article presented the story as the individual's ability to overcome social stigmas within a school setting. However, the journalist did not address the larger social and political forces that influence either positively or negatively the right to education without discrimination. A key issue of this story, the intimidation and bullying faced by the young man at school is not highlighted or even mentioned in the story and appears to have escaped the journalist's attention.

The charity ethos that underlined many of the stories about education portrayed situations in which a lack of accommodation or funding was met with alternative private schools, NGO programs, or generous donations. An example of this coverage is an article entitled, A significant difference in one life; the present of an education for a single mother's son was a pure gift (O'Brian, 2009). The story was about one women's empathetic generosity to pay for another women's child to attend a private school that specializes in teaching kids with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The donor wanted to make a significant difference in one person's life. In turn the recipients promised to pay-it forward to others in need. The journalist told the story of a generous donation that allows a child to have access to a specialized education. However, it did not cover the underlying concern that the child would not have to attend a private specialized school if the public education system recognized and accommodated his individualized learning needs, things to which Article 24 of the CRPD entitle him.

The articles written from a rights perspective typically portrayed a struggle against a school that had not fully provided the support to ensure equal and inclusive access to education. An example of such a story was that of a mother who challenged the human rights infringements experienced by her son in his being denied an appropriate education. The article is entitled, Her son's education is a David and Goliath battle right to learn (Gordon, 2010). The author wrote, She has spent eight years trying to get services and accommodations for her son who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when he was in Grade 1. Instead, she alleges, in a complaint before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, he languished in a system that refused to recognize his disability or provide the special education services he needed (Ibid). The article clearly took a systemic perspective, in the way the journalist highlighted the injustice in an education system which did not recognize that his learning needs required accommodations and individualized learning protocols. The article focused on the difficulties encountered by the student, not because of his personal limitations, but due to the lack of accommodations he encountered within his school. Most importantly, this story is not presented as a singular, unique story, rather is presented a problem with a school system that is not addressing the needs for educational support for all Ontario students with ADHD and learning disabilities.

The media coverage of the rights to an adequate standard of living, and independent living found in Articles 19 and 28 predominantly did reflect the spirit of the CRPD:

Countries recognize the right to an adequate standard of living and social protection; this includes public housing, services and assistance for disability-related needs, as well as assistance with disability-related expenses in case of poverty (Article 28). Persons with disabilities must be able to live independently, to be included in the community, to choose where and with whom to live and to have access to in-home, residential and community support services (Article 19). (UNEnable, 2011)

The majority of the stories in this cluster of stories suggested a need to overcome challenging situations for both individuals and their families. There were many stories that covered topics such as; changes to funding entitlements, social subsidy cutbacks, and loss of services or programs. An example of an article with this perspective is one headlined Cutbacks for funding for mentally ill too deep: critics (Fekete, 2010). This story outlined the harsh funding cutbacks scheduled for agencies serving adults with developmental disabilities in Calgary. The author explained, The Calgary-region board that allocates funding and contracts out to service agencies in the city is projecting a $4.8-million shortfall, which has pervasive development disorder groups fearing they'll be forced to turn away new clients and may even have to shut down their operations (Ibid). Although the author recognized that important services are in jeopardy, the journalist failed to discuss the importance of the funding cutbacks from a rights perspective. The rights perspective would suggest that without these support services, Individuals with disabilities would not be able to continue living independently within their communities, which is what they are entitled to, as outlined in Article 19 of the CRPD.

Many other newspaper articles in this cluster were concerned with community programs, fundraising events, supportive services for seniors, and breakthrough initiatives. This type of story suggests that disability is about charity and explores how people may feel good about helping people with disabilities rather than understanding that people with disabilities have a right to the same things as those without disabilities. An example of such coverage is reflected in a story headlined, Good deeds served hot daily (Caldwell, 2009). This article told the story of a Meals-On-Wheels veteran volunteer who found satisfaction in giving to others. The volunteer explained, I wanted to do something charitable (Ibid). The journalist described the service of Meals-On-Wheels as providing appropriate and adequate meals to people in need, including people with disabilities. No doubt the story offers a warm description of a dedicated volunteer, and a program that is desperately needed. However, it failed to recognize that people with disabilities are entitled to access to food within their homes, which accompanies the right to living independently and having an adequate standard of living.

Of the stories addressed to standard of living and independent living, a fair number did reflect the importance of people with disabilities being able to exercise their rights. These stories often referred to accommodations, discrimination, and actions taken through Human Rights Tribunals. An example of this coverage is a story entitled, Snubbed renters get foot in the door (Balkissoon, 2009). The story described the prejudice faced by marginalized groups in finding a home, and the ultimate responsibilities of a landlord to provide accommodation:

Housing is a human right, according to the United Nations. But it can be a complicated issue for landlords to grasp. That's why the Ontario Human Rights Commission issued a new document Monday, coinciding with Global Habitat Day, to clarify its policy and interpret the vague and spotty references to rental housing in the Ontario Human Rights Code. We're presenting processes and ways of meeting your responsibilities if you're a landlord (Ibid).

The story presents to the public a recognition that housing is a right; that people with disabilities are entitled to housing, and should be able to decide where they live, and should not be discriminated against in housing due to their disability.

It is an encouraging sign that many of the media articles in this area were written from a rights perspective. The disability movement in Canada has worked hard in the area of deinstitutionalization and claiming rights to independent living, and has made significant achievements in this area. This is clearly reflected in the number of media stories that come from a rights perspective when covering this issue (Council of Canadians with Disabilities 2004, People First of Canada 2006, Independent Living Canada n.d).

Cluster 4: Right to life, freedom from torture and abuse

The spirit of the Convention was found to underlie the coverage of rights found in Article 10 (the right to life), and Article 15 and 17 (security and freedom from torture and abuse) of the CRPD. The CRPD states:

Countries are to guarantee that persons with disabilities enjoy their inherent right to life on an equal basis with others (Article 10) ... Countries must protect the physical and mental integrity of persons with disabilities, just as for everyone else (Article 17), guarantee freedom from torture and from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and prohibit medical or scientific experiments without the consent of the person concerned (Article 15) (UNEnable, 2011).

Many of the stories in this cluster covered the issues of euthanasia and suicide, and were written from a rights perspective, or included a rights perspective. During the time frame of the study there was considerable coverage of Bill 384, introduced in the Canadian parliament to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada, and could have implications on the rights of people with disabilities. A number of articles in this area were letters to the Editor and added a rich rights perspective to the coverage,

Bill 384 allows euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide to competent people and, shockingly, those with the appearance of lucidity. It seems the public could be convinced that we should have the option to make that appointment, but it is all smoke and mirrors. We will learn what those in the disabled community already have -- that others make the choices and the appointments based on their judgment, not on our quality of life (Jakki, 2009).

First-person stories highlighted the importance of external factors in discussions of rights, Make life the first choice; ... but not the only choice; My own wish to be euthanized changed as I began to receive support from those around me (Fletcher, 2009).

Also prevalent were articles on suicide and psycho-social disabilities, with a number of articles taking a rights perspective in their coverage, advocating for increased services, de-stigmatization and support, Honest talk about suicide is the best method of prevention; Nearly 4;000 Canadians take their lives every year; making suicide the second leading cause of death among people between ages of 15 and 34 (White, 2010). Euthanasia and suicide are complex and intricate issues, and most stories reflected this in their coverage, stories included a variety of voices and perspectives and were generally from a rights perspective.

Over half of the CRPD articles were not found to be portrayed in coverage of people with disabilities by the media in the time period of this study, including Article 14 (security of person), Article 11 (prevention from risk from calamities); Article 12 (legal recognition); Article 17 (freedom of movement within and outside of borders), Article 21 (freedom of expression). However, other rights that would be more likely to garner coverage within a Canadian domestic context, such as Article 22 (privacy), Article 23 (participation in home and family life), and Article 29 (participation in political life) also saw little media visibility during the period of the study. Among the rights most often covered by the media in this theme was Article 27 (right to employment), which was featured in 3% of total volume. This coverage tended to profile innovative employment programs and/or employers that included accommodations for people with disabilities. There were very few news reports featuring efforts to promote employment among people with a physical disability.

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