Judy Woodruff: Looking for ways to talk about disability
December 11th, 2009
Journalist Judy Woodruff jumps into the new PBS NewsHour blog, “The Rundown,” listing some topics she’s eager to talk about. Among her top five: Disability. An excerpt:
Our older son has serious physical disabilities that have opened our entire family’s eyes to the plight of those who wake up each day with the equivalent of a mountain to climb, simply to get ready for the day. As advanced as our nation is, we have a very long way to go to even the playing field, much less give them the opportunities they deserve, to be the contributing members of society they want to be. I am always on the lookout for stories and developments that relate to their lives.
Earlier posts here.
See also this 2004 Wall Street Journal op-ed by Woodruff’s husband, Al Hunt: More attention for disabilities.
(PBS NewsHour photo)
Our RSS Feed
December 11th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
It is great that a journalist with such a notable organization wants to focus on disability. It is a topic that is, sadly, not addressed often enough. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as many as one in five Americans has some sort of disability; with statistics such as these, it is surprising it is an issue that is not covered more widely in the national media. Yet it is often focued on only when the source of the reporting has been directly affected. Woodruff, for instance, notes that her son is disabled. Hopefully, other sources take her lead in addressing the topic of disability, and give this issue the exposure it warrants.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I am so thrilled that Judy Woodruff wants to do stories regarding disability issues. I hope many write to her to encourage her and to give her food for thought on stories that she could cover.