Join the Global Directory of Disabled News Media Professionals

a step towards bridging the gap between news organisations and disabled journalists and editors

Dear Reframers,

I’m glad to be in touch after a month’s break. I had hoped the publishing pause would give me time to breathe and get ahead on work, but life had other plans. I had a fall, fractured my shoulder, and I’m still not able to use my dominant hand.

Even so, this directory has been on my mind. So I made (a slow and painful) effort to work on this short but important edition to share something I care deeply about: the Global Directory of Disabled News Media Professionals.

The idea is simple but necessary: to connect editors, news organisations, and media projects with disabled professionals around the world for paid work, collaborations, and commissions. The directory will live on Reframing Disability’s website and be shared widely, with the hope that it helps reduce some of the structural barriers disabled journalists face, while making it easier for editors to commission more diverse and inclusive journalism.

[ID: Reframing Disability’s logo, in which, on a bright purple background, two white hand illustrations form an open rectangular frame. Inside the frame, the words ‘Reframing Disability’ are written in white text, symbolising a fresh perspective on disability.]

Why this directory needs to exist

Newsrooms regularly say they want to commission and hire diverse voices, but when it comes to disability, the excuse is familiar: “We don’t know any disabled journalists.”

Yes, disabled journalists and news media professionals exist and are working across beats.

Some say they are approached only for “disability stories” and overlooked for other assignments, and some others have their capability questioned and not approached at all.

The result is a media landscape where disability is underreported, misreported, or framed without lived expertise, and where disabled professionals are locked out of consistent, paid opportunities.

This directory exists to remove that barrier and give disabled professionals visibility.

Like the idea?

What can you do?

If you are a disabled student or working journalist, editor, photojournalist, documentary filmmaker, photographer, illustrator, podcaster, social media expert –anyone who can contribute to journalism/newsrooms, please submit your details using this form, ideally by mid-February. Entries will be added manually to the directory, in the order they are received, starting after 15 February 2026. The form will remain open indefinitely, though updates to the directory will happen periodically rather than in real time.

To build and maintain this directory, I will need to hire someone. If you find value in this work, please consider supporting it with a contribution of any amount, or through a custom monthly subscription via this link. If you prefer PayPal, you can contribute at pritisalian@gmail.com. You can also reply to this email if you’d like to pay via UPI, make a bank transfer, or need an invoice.

For contributors in India, a one-time payment of ₹5,000 would be especially helpful. Twenty such contributions would allow me to hire someone part-time for four months.

International contributors, a one-time payment of £50 or $60 would support in the same way.

Here are ways you can make a financial contribution:

International

• A one time contribution of any amount, or through a custom monthly subscription via this link.

• If you prefer PayPal, you can contribute at pritisalian@gmail.com.

Indian

• Make a one-time or recurring contribution of any amount using this UPI QR Code:

Recently, Disability Debrief – a newsletter by Peter Torres Fremlin – I look up to and often share, renewed their generous annual subscription of £500, an amount I used last year for translating several editions of Reframing Disability into Indian Sign Language. Thank you again, Debrief, your support means a lot!

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Thanks for reading. Please share this edition widely — its impact depends on its reach to as many disabled journalists as possible. Press reply if you have any questions or thoughts.

I’m available on LinkedIn and Instagram and Reframing Disability has an Instagram account too.

Until soon.

Warmly,

Priti

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