Disabled-led media will shape the future of journalism
Cara Reedy's and Johny Cassidy's predictions for disability reporting and inclusion in 2026
Dear Reframers,
I’ve finally found a name for our Reframing Disability Community – do you like it, Reframers?
When I started this newsletter, I imagined it as a space to help people understand disability inclusion better—to make meaning of stories, ideas, and gaps in the way disability is discussed. But over time, I’ve realised it serves needs I didn’t expect.
A recent message from a Reframer, Alexander Ogheneruemu – a disability issues blogger – took me by surprise:
Dear Priti, I'm very grateful to you for this very important work of Reframing Disability. I never knew of my neurodivergent status until I read your well researched work on disabled journalists in newsrooms. And that knowledge has been a turning point. I still have no official diagnosis but the curiosity (and resultant exploration) your work has probably served me better than any such diagnosis could have. I'm now more at home and at peace with who I am. Thank you and more flow to your intellect!
I had approached this work as a meaningmaker, but audiences are finding and using the newsletter in their own ways. And that, I think, is what has shaped it into something larger than what I first set out to build.
That’s why I urge you to support Reframing Disability so I can involve other writers with disabilities in this project, pay them for their time, support them to work on untold stories.
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Last Friday, two Indians, Tanmoy Goswami of Sanity and L Subramani of Deccan Herald shared their preditions for mental health and disability inclusion reporting in newsrooms.
To close out the series, we have disabled journalis from the UK and the US.
Johny Cassidy is a Digital Special Projects Producer in BBC News, UK, working in AI, innovation and growth. He is the co-chair of BBC Ability, the BBC’s disabled staff network, and advocates for a more inclusive newsroom. In an earlier edition, Johny spoke to Reframing Disability about why progress over perfection is the mantra for pursuing accessibility goals.
Cara Reedy is the Founder and Executive Director of the Disabled Journalists Association. In 2019, she produced Dwarfism and Me for The Guardian, which was an exploration of the treatment of Dwarfs in American society. She has spent the last four years studying disability and its coverage in the media.
[ID: On the left of this image gallery is Cara, a light skin Black woman with dark brown curly hair, wearing big silver earrings and smiling into the camera. On the right is Johny, a white man with salt-and-pepper hair and beard, looking to his right and smiling. Behind him is a standee of “BBC Academy, Fusion”.
Now, to their predictions:
Inclusion will be seen as an editorial strength and a competitive advantage
by Johny Cassidy
Accessibility and authentic disabled representation in the newsroom will move beyond a box-ticking exercise.
It will become a core newsroom metric, measured alongside engagement and trust.
Authentic representation matters because it changes the stories we tell. There’s over one billion disabled people across the world, yet coverage often leans on stereotypes or tokenism. When disabled journalists are part of the newsroom, they bring lived experience that shapes reporting and design. We spot barriers others miss such as graphics without alt text, breaking news streams without captions, or language that alienates. Our presence ensures disability is covered as a social, political and economic issue, not just a human-interest sidebar.
The mature newsroom will go further. Disabled leaders will influence editorial priorities and product strategy. They will bring their own lived experience into all aspects of decision-making as well as role modelling what inclusion looks like. They’ll build pipelines for career progression with tangible KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and metrics to demonstrate ongoing commitment to diversifying the newsroom. This approach will signal that disability is not a limitation, but a valuable perspective that strengthens journalism and offers a competitive edge.
Roles like Accessibility Editor will emerge, often led by disabled staff. AI will assist with captions and text descriptions, but human oversight, especially from those with lived experience will remain essential. Alternative ways of telling stories will also become more widespread. Experimentation with innovative formats such as data sonification will be encouraged.
Inclusion will be seen as an editorial strength and a competitive advantage. Accessible products and authentic coverage will define trust. Newsrooms that act now and understand the value diverse insights and creative problem solving can bring will be the leaders of the future. This can only happen however with an authentic commitment to change. Will 2026 be the year when authenticity finally comes to the fore? Ask me next year.
The future for disability reporting is in smaller newsrooms
by Cara Reedy
The innovation in disability reporting is happening in smaller newsrooms who are more nimble, like The 19th and The 74. At the 19th, they have a dedicated caregiving/disability reporter (Sara Luterman), but they also include disability throughout the rest of their coverage. It’s not secluded, but understood as an important factor in people’s chance for survival economically, in disasters, through the educational system. The 74 has done some really in-depth work around disability and the educational system.
There is also a growing ecosystem of Disabled-led newsrooms, Disability Debrief, New Mobility, The Sick Times and our newsroom at the Disabled Journalists Association to name a few. These small newsrooms are covering disabled people in the most organic, rigorous and thorough way. They are experimenting with accommodations and work flows to create spaces that work for everyone while operating on small budgets. Disabled people are the ultimate system hackers. Imagine what they could do with full investment.
Looking for New Year gifts?
If you’re in India, get yourself a Labhopping 2026 Desktop Calendar titled “SCIENCE: Fuzzy, Messy, Awesome!” and artwork by persons with disabilities from Atypical Advantage.
[Logo ID: 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.]
Thanks for reading or listening to this edition (on the Substack app). Do write in with your thoughts and if you like, please share your prediction for your country’s news media, and I’ll pubish it in a future edition.
I’m available on LinkedIn and Instagram as well. Reframing Disability has an Instagram account too - find the latest post about last week’s newsroom predictions by Tanmoy and Subramani.
I’m taking a few weeks to plan for next year. Reframing Disability will be in your inbox again in late January. I wish you a peaceful, joyful and accessible new year!
Warmly,
Priti
Every Newsroom should read this!