‘dis-ABILITY!’: Challenging the stigma of disability by altering the media representation of the Paralympic Games. 

PRIN 2022 PNRR Pappous

The Project: A Social Legacy Initiative inspired by the Milano-Cortina Games

This initiative is the result of a collaborative PRIN-PNRR grant (Finanziato dall’Unione europea - Next Generation EU, Missione 4 Componente 2, CUP J53D23016770001) executed by two Research Units. Led by Principal Investigator Prof. Sakis (Athanasios) Pappous (University of Bologna) and Co-Principal Investigator Prof. Paolo Diana (University of Salerno), the project is conceived as a "social legacy project" inspired by the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games, with a clear mission: to investigate the media narrative surrounding Paralympic sport and, more importantly, to give voice to the protagonists of the movement.

The Methodology: Qualitative Co-Creation

To build a solid evidence base, our research teams engaged in a deep co-creation process rooted in qualitative inquiry. We conducted extensive interviews with a wide range of Italian elite Paralympic athletes. Rather than observing from a distance, we asked them directly to evaluate their current media representation—what they appreciate, what they feel is missing, and how they wish to be portrayed. Consequently, the findings reflect the lived experience of those who navigate the sports media landscape every day. It is a project built with them, not just about them.The Outputs: Academic Dissemination, Public Events, and The "Dis-Ability" MOOC The insights gathered from these studies form the foundation of distinct but complementary outputs:

1. Scientific Dissemination and Public Engagement: The data collected serves as the basis for academic papers and will be presented at scientific conferences hosted by our units in Salerno and Bologna, as well as at major international conferences globally. Crucially, we also target the wider public through events such as "The European Researchers' Night (ERN)" and "Pint of Science", alongside film and documentary screenings on Paralympic sport for the general public and schools.
2. The MOOC "Dis-Ability": Designed as the primary practical output, this course—titled "Dis-Ability"—will be made freely available. It is intended for schools of journalism and organizers of future Mega Events to use as a training resource for their students or volunteers. The goal is to teach them how to report on Paralympic Sport in an inclusive and empowering way, providing tools to identify and look beyond recurring stereotypes and clichés.

The Context: Why This Research Matters

People with disabilities remain significantly under-represented in the media. When they do appear, their stories are frequently told through a narrow lens that fails to capture the multifaceted reality of their lives as athletes and citizens. While the Paralympic Games offer a rare global stage, this opportunity is not always used to promote inclusive and empowering representations. This project aims to actively shape a new narrative.

Full description

PRIN 2022 PNRR Project: 'dis-ABILITY!': Challenging the stigma of disability by altering the media representation of the Paralympic Games The 'dis-ABILITY!' project innovatively seeks to challenge the stigma associated with disability by directly influencing the media representation of the Paralympic Games. This initiative stems from the observation that, despite millions of people with disabilities residing in Europe and Italy, their visibility in mass media remains limited and often distorted, perpetuating negative stereotypes. The Paralympic Games represent one of the rare opportunities for positive and empowering portrayals; therefore, this project will directly amplify the voices of Paralympic athletes, exploring their perceptions and experiences regarding how their image is conveyed. This will inform an understanding of how sport and disability can be better represented to promote a more positive portrayal. The ultimate objective aligns with the European Disability Strategy and the principle of "self-determination," recognizing the right of persons with disabilities to define their own representation. Through an evidence-based, three-step approach, this research will provide timely and valuable educational and training resources aimed at promoting a non-discriminatory, inclusive, and empowering portrayal of disability. These resources will target media professionals, journalists, Paralympic athletes, and members of the disability community. The core of our study represents an interdisciplinary bridge between the sociology of sport, media history, and disability studies (Research Unit 1 - University of Bologna), and adapted sport studies along with traditional and digital social research methodologies (Research Unit 2 - University of Salerno). This interdisciplinary collaboration will facilitate addressing intersectionality, the complexity of stigma, and the multiple identities faced by persons with disabilities, who are often subject to cumulative forms of discrimination. Adopting a participatory approach, we will co-create, alongside persons with disabilities and stakeholders, an innovative and transferable output: an open-access digital e-learning content. This tool will be utilized by communication professionals, students, and the general public to foster awareness and acquire new competencies, thereby facilitating a shift in communication practices and contributing to a more equitable and respectful narrative of persons with disabilities. This outcome will not only ensure a significant societal impact, facilitating the implementation in Italy of the European Disability Strategy 2021-2030, but will also lay the groundwork for future initiatives related to major disability Paralympic sport mega-events such as Milano-Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028.

Project details

Scientific coordinator: Athanasios Pappous

Involved UniBo structure:
Department for Life Quality Studies

Coordinator:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna (Italy)

Project duration in months: 24
Start date: 30/11/2023
End date: 28/02/2026