Media focus on hardship for disabled athletes can reinforce negative stereotypes

Media portrayals of disabled athletes that emphasize hardships overcome rather than achievements evoke pity and decrease perceived competency, contributing to a sense of “otherness” by reinforcing stereotypes, says a University of Michigan researcher.

By contrast, media portrayals that emphasize achievements elicit feelings of admiration and competency and challenge stereotypes, says Dae Hee Kwak, associate professor of sport management at the School of Kinesiology.

These “inspiration porn” narratives are popular storytelling tropes that objectify disabled athletes as sources of inspiration for nondisabled audiences, he says.

Inspiration porn emphasizes the physical disability or “tragedy” the athlete has overcome, rather than the achievements. This approach is often criticized in the disabled community, but little is known about how this narrative shapes consumer attitudes when used in marketing communications.

To that end, Kwak and colleague Namkyeong Jang of Pai Chai University in Korea conducted two studies to understand the impact on brand perception and related outcomes when the narrative emphasized a disabled athlete’s achievements rather than their challenges or disabilities. Their paper reporting on the studies is published in the Journal of Business Ethics.

In the first study, participants read two fictitious news articles announcing a new partnership between a disabled athlete and a company that sponsors the athlete. The inspiration porn article focused on overcoming hardship and the other article focused on the athlete’s achievements.

In the second study, participants were shown two print advertisements. The inspiration porn ad shows the athlete sitting passively in a racing wheelchair, hands folded in his lap. The caption reads: “I Was Born with Spinal Bifida. This is the Body I Have Been Given.” In the achievement-focused ad, the athlete is bent flat over the wheelchair, hands pumping behind him. The caption reads: “400 Meters in 46 Seconds, Just With My Hands. Two-Time Paralympic Medalist.”

In the first study, participants felt less pity but a similar level of admiration toward the achievement-focused portrayals. They also perceived those athletes as more competent. In the second study, participants felt more admiration than those in the inspiration porn condition. The increased admiration led to more favorable brand perception and intentions to support the parasport community.

“Not all ‘awww moments’ are the same,” Kwak said. “Inspiration porn might still tug at the heartstrings, but it tends to evoke pity—a downward comparison emotion that can feel disempowering and even add to stigma. In contrast, achievement-based stories spark admiration, highlighting competence and agency. This emotional split between pity and admiration based on different messaging was our most interesting finding.”

The association was more pronounced in the second study that used visual cues. Yet advertisers still use inspiration porn because it’s easy and it works, he says.

“The media understands that visually impaired images would draw more attention than disabilities not visible, and people tend to have positive feelings and attitudes toward them,” Kwak said. “Savvy advertisers would place those athletes and then try to tell a success story, which is a common rhetoric—’Look how they overcame their hardship. So inspiring.’

“Inspiration porn is convenient. Think of poverty porn, where some philanthropic organizations use crying babies with little clothes to project feelings of pity or guilt to make people give. This tactic doesn’t require effort to learn about the athlete’s real lives, but simplifies their existence as unfortunate—something that must be overcome.”

One surprising finding, Kwak says, is that people who hold a stronger stigma toward disabled individuals felt more pity and less admiration.

“In other words, pity is closely associated with stigma, but changing narratives to evoke admiration might help break it down,” he said.

Kwak says that inspirational messages are very common in marketing messages, but that when disabled people are portrayed solely through the lens of their disability, we lose sight of them as individuals and what their stories represent.

“The inspiration shouldn’t come from ‘overcoming’ disability—it should come from the everyday effort, dedication and resilience they show,” he said. “This research urges journalists, sponsors and even athletes to move beyond portraying disability as the main story. Instead, focus on athletes’ skills, dedication and personal journeys.

“Highlighting competence fosters admiration over pity, which is negatively associated with stigma and contributes to more empowering narratives for all audiences.”

Media portrayals of disabled athletes that emphasize hardships overcome rather than achievements evoke pity and decrease perceived competency, contributing to a sense of “otherness” by reinforcing stereotypes, says a University of Michigan researcher.

By contrast, media portrayals that emphasize achievements elicit feelings of admiration and competency and challenge stereotypes, says Dae Hee Kwak, associate professor of sport management at the School of Kinesiology.

These “inspiration porn” narratives are popular storytelling tropes that objectify disabled athletes as sources of inspiration for nondisabled audiences, he says.

Inspiration porn emphasizes the physical disability or “tragedy” the athlete has overcome, rather than the achievements. This approach is often criticized in the disabled community, but little is known about how this narrative shapes consumer attitudes when used in marketing communications.

To that end, Kwak and colleague Namkyeong Jang of Pai Chai University in Korea conducted two studies to understand the impact on brand perception and related outcomes when the narrative emphasized a disabled athlete’s achievements rather than their challenges or disabilities. Their paper reporting on the studies is published in the Journal of Business Ethics.

In the first study, participants read two fictitious news articles announcing a new partnership between a disabled athlete and a company that sponsors the athlete. The inspiration porn article focused on overcoming hardship and the other article focused on the athlete’s achievements.

In the second study, participants were shown two print advertisements. The inspiration porn ad shows the athlete sitting passively in a racing wheelchair, hands folded in his lap. The caption reads: “I Was Born with Spinal Bifida. This is the Body I Have Been Given.” In the achievement-focused ad, the athlete is bent flat over the wheelchair, hands pumping behind him. The caption reads: “400 Meters in 46 Seconds, Just With My Hands. Two-Time Paralympic Medalist.”

In the first study, participants felt less pity but a similar level of admiration toward the achievement-focused portrayals. They also perceived those athletes as more competent. In the second study, participants felt more admiration than those in the inspiration porn condition. The increased admiration led to more favorable brand perception and intentions to support the parasport community.

“Not all ‘awww moments’ are the same,” Kwak said. “Inspiration porn might still tug at the heartstrings, but it tends to evoke pity—a downward comparison emotion that can feel disempowering and even add to stigma. In contrast, achievement-based stories spark admiration, highlighting competence and agency. This emotional split between pity and admiration based on different messaging was our most interesting finding.”

The association was more pronounced in the second study that used visual cues. Yet advertisers still use inspiration porn because it’s easy and it works, he says.

“The media understands that visually impaired images would draw more attention than disabilities not visible, and people tend to have positive feelings and attitudes toward them,” Kwak said. “Savvy advertisers would place those athletes and then try to tell a success story, which is a common rhetoric—’Look how they overcame their hardship. So inspiring.’

“Inspiration porn is convenient. Think of poverty porn, where some philanthropic organizations use crying babies with little clothes to project feelings of pity or guilt to make people give. This tactic doesn’t require effort to learn about the athlete’s real lives, but simplifies their existence as unfortunate—something that must be overcome.”

One surprising finding, Kwak says, is that people who hold a stronger stigma toward disabled individuals felt more pity and less admiration.

“In other words, pity is closely associated with stigma, but changing narratives to evoke admiration might help break it down,” he said.

Kwak says that inspirational messages are very common in marketing messages, but that when disabled people are portrayed solely through the lens of their disability, we lose sight of them as individuals and what their stories represent.

“The inspiration shouldn’t come from ‘overcoming’ disability—it should come from the everyday effort, dedication and resilience they show,” he said. “This research urges journalists, sponsors and even athletes to move beyond portraying disability as the main story. Instead, focus on athletes’ skills, dedication and personal journeys.

“Highlighting competence fosters admiration over pity, which is negatively associated with stigma and contributes to more empowering narratives for all audiences.”