Resources for Journalists with Disabilities

The following resources may be useful for journalists with disabilities.

Negotiating Accommodations This guide from the Job Accommodation Network offers tips for new employees on negotiating for reasonable accommodations–like the right assistive technology–with an employer. Find the guide here.

Nieman Reports: Obstacles and Opportunities for Journalists with Disabilities
Reporter Michelle Hackman explains the obstacles she’s faced as a blind journalist. Hackman offers practical advice from other reporters with disabilities.Find the Nieman Reports story here.

“Representation Matters,” an entry from Claudia Forsberg’s blog
This essay by Australian journalist Claudia Forsberg explores why newsrooms need to be more diverse and enumerates the ways in which journalists without disabilities can better represent people with disabilities (and other minority groups) in their reporting and in the media.
Find “Representation Matters” here.

SAG-AFTRA Diversity Resources
This list from SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) includes organizations that support people with disabilities, media alliances and corporate diversity initiatives. Find SAG-AFTRA’s list here.

The Guardian: Challenges Facing Disabled Journalists
This article offers statistics on journalists with disabilities looking for work. Find the story here.

The Campaign for Disability Employment
This organization’s site includes toolkits and resources to assist those with disabilities in finding employment. The site also offers guidance on disability hiring for employers. Find the campaign here.

The Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism
This fellowship aims to create opportunities for journalists to cover mental health and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Find information about the fellowship here.

U.S. Department of Labor: Disability Resources Federal directory of information for employees with disabilities, including explanation of workplace rights. Find the directory here.