Before working at Cahoots, I thought I was already mindful about inclusive marketing. I avoided stereotypes, used diverse stock images where possible, and tried to be thoughtful with language.

But working in disability inclusion has completely reframed how I look at media, particularly the kind we produce in marketing, advertising, and digital communications.

Because once you start noticing who is missing from mainstream representation, you can’t unsee it.

What We See (and Don’t See) Shapes What We Believe

Media from websites and brochures to ad campaigns and Instagram posts all plays a powerful role in shaping how people are seen, valued, and included in society. When people with disabilities aren’t visible in that media, it reinforces an outdated and harmful narrative: that inclusion is optional, or that disability is something to be hidden.

The same goes for age, gender, race, body type, neurodiversity, and more. When the same narrow ideal is constantly presented as “normal,” we unconsciously internalise who belongs and who doesn’t.

The Problem with Stock Imagery

Working at Cahoots, I spend a lot of time sourcing or capturing images for social media, campaigns, and reports. But the common theme that I’ve noticed: inclusive, authentic imagery is shockingly hard to find.

Images of people with visible disabilities are often overly staged, tokenistic, or reduced to clichés; and that’s when they exist at all. There’s a lack of diversity not just in who is shown, but how they’re portrayed: Are they in positions of agency or passivity? Are they being supported or actively contributing? Are they being photographed with dignity?

It’s not enough to include “diversity” in the frame; it matters how that diversity is represented.

What Inclusive Media Looks Like

So what does inclusive, representative media look like? It looks like:

• People with disabilities featured in everyday scenarios, not just “special” ones
• Diverse body types, skin tones, ages, and abilities shown confidently and authentically
• Content that avoids pity narratives or hero tropes, and instead celebrates humanity, joy, and complexity
• Language that is respectful, accurate, and reflective of how people describe themselves
• Content created with the communities being represented; not just about them

What We Can Do About It

As marketers, content creators, and communicators, we have the power, and the responsibility, to do better. That means:

• Actively seeking or creating diverse and inclusive imagery
• Working with photographers, models, and creators from marginalised communities
• Consulting with people who have lived experience to inform how stories are told
• Regularly auditing our language and visuals for bias or exclusion
• Not settling for what’s available, but pushing for what’s right

Because representation isn’t a branding decision. It’s a reflection of our values.