By Gideon Jagrup
Systematic Literature Review in conjunction with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program at the Westchester Institute for Human Development

Disability is not a single experience. People with disabilities represent different cultures, communities, backgrounds, identities, abilities, communication styles, and lived experiences. Recognizing that diversity is an important part of creating communities where people with disabilities are represented, heard, and included.

Gideon Jagrup explored this topic through a systematic literature review conducted in conjunction with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program at the Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD). The project also considered how research and lived experiences could inform the preparation of an audio/visual project focused on celebrating diversity within the disability community.

Disability Is Diverse

The disability community includes people with many different experiences and perspectives. Disability may be developmental, intellectual, physical, sensory, or related to other conditions, and individuals may experience disability differently depending on their environment, access to services, family and community supports, and other aspects of their identity.

Recognizing this diversity means moving beyond a single image or narrative of what disability looks like.

WIHD’s work reflects this broader approach to disability and inclusion. As a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), WIHD works to promote the independence, productivity, and community inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through interdisciplinary education, community services, research, and information dissemination.

The Importance of Representation

Audio and visual storytelling can provide opportunities for people with disabilities to share their experiences in ways that are personal, accessible, and engaging.

When preparing disability-focused media, representation matters. An effective project should recognize that people with disabilities have different experiences rather than presenting one person or one story as representative of an entire community.

This also creates an opportunity to place greater emphasis on the perspectives and experiences of people with disabilities themselves.

From Research to Audio/Visual Storytelling

A systematic literature review can provide an evidence-based foundation for developing an audio/visual project.

Research can help identify themes, terminology, gaps in representation, and considerations that should inform how disability is discussed and portrayed. The next challenge is translating that knowledge into a format that is understandable and meaningful to a wider audience.

This connection between research and communication aligns well with WIHD’s LEND training model. LEND incorporates interdisciplinary and evidence-based practice, while its leadership curriculum also includes communication and community-engagement training.

Centering Lived Experience

An audio/visual project celebrating diversity in disability becomes especially meaningful when people with disabilities are not simply the subjects of the project but are able to contribute their own voices and perspectives.

WIHD’s LEND program itself includes self-advocates and family members of children and adults with disabilities alongside graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Trainees come from disciplines ranging from health care and psychology to social work, education, public health, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology.

That interdisciplinary and lived-experience model demonstrates the value of bringing multiple perspectives into conversations about disability.

Preparing an Inclusive Audio/Visual Project

Developing an audio/visual project around disability requires thoughtful preparation.

The process can begin by identifying whose experiences the project seeks to represent and considering whether a meaningful range of disability perspectives is included. It also means thinking carefully about how individuals describe themselves and their experiences rather than relying on assumptions or stereotypes.

Accessibility should also be considered as part of the project itself. The goal is not only to create content about inclusion, but to consider inclusion in how that content is developed and shared.

Celebrating Strength, Identity and Community

Celebrating diversity in disability does not mean ignoring the barriers that people with disabilities may experience. Instead, it provides space for a fuller picture—one that can include challenges while also recognizing identity, culture, relationships, leadership, advocacy, accomplishments, and participation in community life.

That broader perspective can help move disability storytelling away from narrow portrayals and toward more authentic representations of people’s lives.

For communities such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, audio/visual storytelling can also provide an opportunity to reflect local voices and experiences rather than relying exclusively on disability narratives developed elsewhere.

Developing Future Disability Leaders

Jagrup’s project was conducted in conjunction with WIHD’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program.

LEND is a two-semester interdisciplinary leadership training program. Its curriculum includes the Seminar in Evidence-Based Methods (SEBM), where trainees participate in evidence-based interdisciplinary team projects and develop research presentations. WIHD notes that LEND trainees ultimately share their research through oral and poster presentations.

The program is designed to develop leaders who can work with and on behalf of children with disabilities and other special health care needs and their families, with an emphasis on improving outcomes and reducing disparities.

Moving From Awareness to Understanding

Celebrating Diversity in Disability provides an opportunity to connect research, lived experience, representation, and accessible communication.

Preparing an audio/visual project based on these ideas can help create a platform where disability is represented through a wider range of voices and experiences.

Ultimately, meaningful disability representation begins by recognizing a simple principle: there is no single disability story.

Learn More

• WIHD Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program — Learn about WIHD’s interdisciplinary leadership training program.
• WIHD LEND Curriculum & Program Highlights — Explore the LEND curriculum, Seminar in Evidence-Based Methods, research projects, and poster presentations.
• Westchester Institute for Human Development — Learn more about WIHD’s disability programs, research, education, and community work.