![]() ![]() ![]() Galbo says the CPSC worked with its public relations agency to hold an open casting call for the stock images, ultimately hiring a mix of models and non-models with disabilities "who had heard about the project and wanted to be a part of it." Consumer Product Safety Commission Choosing the right scenarios and models was key The CPSC worked with a mix of models and non-models, all with disabilities, to shoot the campaign. So when the 2021 American Rescue Plan gave the CPSC more resources for developing new creative materials, it made this project a priority. The result, he says, is less effective visuals. "But, the more they looked across libraries - even the most well-known and expensive - the more it became obvious that this was a huge gap in what was available." "At first they thought it was maybe the lower-cost stock image library we use," he wrote. The social media team spends a lot of time looking through stock photo repositories but has struggled to find images of Americans with disabilities using even the most common home safety devices, like cooking in the kitchen. "In injury prevention, that's especially crucial because so many of the positive behaviors we want to drive require interacting with safety devices."Īnd yet, he says, images of people using these common, crucial safety devices have generally been hard to find - especially when it comes to people from historically excluded communities. ![]() "We know visually representing the correct way of doing something is important for effective public health communication," he adds. Its social media graphics usually use a minimum of three to four photos each, Galbo says. Photos are incredibly important to the CPSC's mission of promoting awareness. ![]() Consumer Product Safety Commission Addressing an old problem with new resources The CPSC says it worked with models to properly showcase the devices and safety practices - for example, cooking safely might mean covering your legs if you use a wheelchair. The CPSC has already started using the stock photos in its posters and social media graphics, such as this March tweet showing a man in a wheelchair extolling the virtues of his fire extinguisher to a magical deer inexplicably named Alan Dracula, and a May tweet in which a man with a prosthetic leg stands by his boiling pan while a Pegasus teeters on the counter behind him. "Representation - from stock photos, to policies and programs - helps create the comprehensively accessible society we aspire toward, rather than leaving our communities behind." "Disability is a natural part of the human condition, and yet all too often it is viewed as special or distinct from mainstream society," Town wrote. The American Association of People with Disabilities applauded the move, with President and CEO Maria Town telling NPR in an email that it "brings us closer to embracing that disabled people are everywhere."Īnd, she adds, that should be "standard practice, rather than a lauded exception" as government entities implement visibility and diversity into their programs and practices. for representing all Americans," responded the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association. Their announcement was cheered by many on Twitter, who applauded the agency for creating a valuable, inclusive new resource. And it shared a link to a page on its website with more than a dozen such photos. The CPSC tweeted last week that it had taken action after noticing a lack of stock photos showing people with disabilities using common home safety devices, from carbon monoxide detectors to fire extinguishers to flashlights. "There was a real sense of helping right a wrong and delivering something important for a community that's too often left out of many important conversations." "A lot of us agreed this would be one of the most important things we worked on in our careers," CPSC Social Media Specialist Joseph Galbo told NPR over email. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government agency that focuses on accident prevention and has amused the internet for years with its public safety awareness memes on Twitter.Īnd while the photos may not sound particularly groundbreaking, they represent a major step forward in physical disability representation. These are some of the new stock images recently released by the U.S. A guy wearing a hearing aid changes his smoke alarm batteries. A woman with a walker shines a flashlight in a dark kitchen. Consumer Product Safety CommissionĪ man with a prosthetic leg hooks up a portable generator, the yellow cord stretching a safe distance from his house. The CPSC commissioned new stock photos showing Americans with disabilities using a variety of home safety devices, including portable generators. ![]()
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