Reframing Disability Turns Two!
Join this global community from 72 countries united in reshaping how the media views and includes disabled people.
Hi everyone,
Congratulations for being a part of this movement! Thanks for reading/listening to, and supporting every issue of Reframing Disability.
I started this newsletter two years ago as a space to shift how we think and talk about disability — from a notion of deficit to one of diversity.
What started as a newsletter with 50 subscribers has grown into a global community of over 1,500 journalists, storytellers, writers, advocates, academics, researchers, authors, and allies. Together, through this newsletter, individuals from 72 countries are united in reshaping how the media views and includes disabled people. Subscribe today and join the community!
[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.]
Highlights from the second year
In its second year, Reframing Disability deepened its focus on the many intersections shaping how we understand disability today — from exploring how climate change disproportionately impacts disabled people while paying heed to their contributions to resilience, to examining media innovation and the urgent need for accessibility to be built into newsroom culture. It looked at representation in film, celebrating stories like Sitaare Zameen Par and Fruit Chaat that move beyond pity or inspiration, and turned to accessibility in comics, spotlighting Hatiye Garip’s thoughts on how visual storytelling can include diverse bodies and minds through thoughtful design. The newsletter also pushed for nuanced mental health storytelling, with Tanmoy Goswami calling for narratives that go beyond individual struggle to address systemic inequities, and explored social media activism, where creators like Puneet Singh Singhal and Soumita Basu showed that authenticity and honesty can be more powerful than algorithms or hashtags.
These stories reflected Reframing Disability’s growing mission: to shift narratives, centre lived experience, and build a more inclusive media ecosystem.
ID: A gallery of images from the past editions of Reframing Disability including Hatiye Garip with her bobcut hair, a poster of the film Deaf President Now, a poster of StoryLab’s inaugural cohort featuring Freya, Rachel, Shreya and Harry, and two white hands signing on a black background.
Opening spaces for more contributors
This year, I made a conscious effort to invite people to write for Reframing Disability.
Personal essays from Dr Alim Chandani, Aditi Sowmyanarayan, Abhishek Anicca (in a reprint from queerbeat), and Muskan Bhatia reflected the diversity within disability experiences.
In her brilliant report, Padmaja Bandi asked if it’s ethical to keep accessibility behind a paywall.
Anugya Srivastava’s fantastic article on benevolent ableism showed how perceived kindness can sometimes reinforce inequality.
Several pieces were translated into Indian Sign Language, but I want to do more whenever I can get more funds.
Each piece was different. Each voice unique. They remind us that there is no single way to live or tell a disability story.
The StoryLab Mentorship: nurturing early-career storytellers
Beyond storytelling, Reframing Disability stepped into the domain of mentoring journalists with disabilities, my core mission ever since I conducted my research on the consequences of the underrepresentation of journalists with disabilities in Indian newsrooms at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
The StoryLab Mentorship Programme — a space to nurture emerging disabled and storytellers – ran in September and October, in collaboration with News Verifier Africa.
One of the most rewarding parts of this journey was to be able to offer tailored support on journalism. In their own words, the participants “gained clarity on distilling ideas into editor-friendly formats and appreciated discussions on leadership styles.” Some “learned how to pre-report, find the right contacts, and write impactful pitches and emails.” Some others “felt more confident pitching to larger outlets and mastering journalism fundamentals, research, interviewing, and structuring.”
The participants found it “rewarding to learn from professionals who understand lived experience and how it shapes their journalism.”
StoryLab’s first version has ended, but stay tuned for what’s happening next! Want to contribute your time, skills or funds to StoryLab? Hit reply.
Sharing knowledge, building capacity
Beyond the newsletter, I held workshops, talks, and consultancies for global institutions, NGOs, journalists, media outlets, fellowship programmes, internships, and media festivals including Deutsche Welle, Theirworld, queerbeat, The News Minute, BehanBox, Dream A Dream, Splice Beta, and the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025).
Through these engagements, I met passionate professionals who want to make their work accessible, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes their stories and content stronger and gives them a wider reach.
Each session has been a reminder that awareness and language matter, and small shifts can open big doors.
Instagram takes off
Another exciting development in April this year was Aditi Sowmyanarayan joining Reframing Disability to design and post our Instagram work.
Thanks to her, our Instagram presence has truly taken off — creating a lively space to share insights, quotes, and reflections that go beyond what the newsletter publishes.
It’s opened new conversations and connected with audiences who are interested in insights but may not always find time to read the newsletter.
Aditi’s focus on non-speaking autism, and AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) has drawn strong engagement. These conversations have helped many understand how communication works beyond speech — and why inclusive storytelling must recognise all forms of expression.
Looking ahead
The next year feels full of possibilities.
What’s in the pipeline?
New databases and resources. Tools to help journalists, editors, communicators, disabled experts, accessible stories, and guidance on disability-inclusive media. Reframing Disability aims to make inclusion practical, and actionable.
And there’s something else very exciting on the horizon. I’ll share more about it very soon.
Invitation to work together
Collaboration is at the heart of everything Reframing Disability does.
If you believe in the mission of disability inclusive media, please consider contributing your time and skills to Reframing Disability. Every person who joins strengthens this work. Every idea, every bit of time, makes a difference.
If you are a media publisher, we could collaborate on stories.
I can’t, and don’t want do this alone.
Not sure how we could work together? Book a 15-minute free call with me on Topmate to discuss.
Support Reframing Disability
If you can, make a one-time payment of any amount or set up a custom or recurring monthly subscription through this link. If you use PayPal, pay to pritisalian@gmail.com. Hit reply if you want to pay through UPI, do a bank transfer or need an invoice.
Send paid work my way. I’m a human-rights journalist, an accredited trainer of Solutions Journalism and Gender Equality Diversity and Inclusion and specialise in disability inclusion and accessibility in content. I’m also a researcher and consultant. Write to me at pritisalian@gmail.com.
Find a list of other ways to support Reframing Disability.
Before I end today…
As Reframing Disability moves into its third year, I’m filled with gratitude for everyone who reads, listens, writes, shares, and supports this work. A huge thanks to all those who have contributed their essays, perspectives and tips to strengthen each issue.
Many of you follow Reframing Disability on Substack. But if you can, I’d love for you to subscribe — it takes less that a minute, and the newsletter is free and accessible. Your subscription helps this work reach more people and gives me a stronger base when applying for funding.
Give this newsletter a try. Read one issue. See if it resonates. Subscribe if you find it useful and a joy to read.
Thank you for being part of this beautiful journey. As always, I look forward to hearing from you!
Until soon.
Yours in accessibility,
Priti