How Does Social Media Receive Those With Disabilities?

With the rapidly increasing growth in the world’s population, a formal and effective way to communicate is a necessity. In these modern times, it seems that everyone has some form of access to a type of media whether it be the internet, radio, or television. Although many will point out the negatives of the media, it is important to recognize that the media does in fact cause more good than evil. With this being stated, countless civilians have been alerted and warned against various types of disasters, from bad weather such as hurricanes or tornados, to much more serious events like terrorist attacks; therefore, positive and accessible media has proven to be both necessary and useful in these crucial moments. Media has proven to be

Justin Healey, author of Social Impacts of Digital Media, discusses this accessibility in his book and commends several sites for developing new and improved ways to help those with disabilities. Healey voices the importance of giving those with disabilities an outlet to release their thoughts because it allows for a deeper understanding of who they are as a person and not who they are as “a disability”. Healey speaks of Glenda Watson Hyatt, a woman who lives with severe cerebral palsy, and expresses his excitement towards increasingly accessible forms of media. Healey quotes Hyatt as saying “’Social media gives voices to individuals marginalized and ignored by traditional media…’” (24). Hyatt eloquently describes how critical it is to give a voice to those who have never had one before. In many cases similar to Hyatt’s, it seems that without accessible media, or even just media in general for that matter, countless voices, ideas, and dreams would be lost. It is with these specific cases in mind that one must recognize how important media is and how that media so positively and heavily influences the lives that come into contact with it. As stated before, it is evident as to why constructive criticism is necessary, as it allows the media to adapt into what the consumers desire. It is with this in mind that one can now understand the importance of enhancing

Just before the start of a World Series baseball game on October 17, 1989, a massive earthquake shook San Francisco to its core, leading to widespread panic and fear. Thankfully the media was in the heart of the action. Having already been in San Francisco to publicize the baseball game, media outlets instead turned their attention to the earthquake and victims of it. Mary C. Comerio, author of the book Disaster Hits Home: New Policy for Urban Housing Recovery, discusses this instance as well as the media’s involvement, stating “The national media was already in San Francisco… the earthquake became national news for days…” (193). Because the media happened to be in San Francisco for the World Series game, they were also able to report on and provide warnings and alerts to the surrounding public as to what the circumstances were and what one should do in this situation. This example of media in a time of crisis proves useful because it shows that the media is not a bad thing and has saved and protected countless lives from possible danger. This also shows how the media did not interfere directly with individuals involved in an incident, instead focusing on what others could do to help themselves. Though this happened to be a coincidence with the media being in the right place at the right time, the publication of the earthquake left many in the