Framing Disability: Voter Evaluations of Candidate Self-Presentations in Election Campaigns

Disabled people continue to be stigmatised in our society, with stereotypes of incompetence and weakness dominating. At the same time, we often see portrayals of disabled people being inspirational, courageous, and heroic. This means that disabled candidates who stand for election are likely to think carefully about how to frame their impairment in order to gain – or at least not jeopardize – electoral support: ignore it; downplay its relevance; or frame it as a positive attribute that has provided them with valuable experiences, skills, or personality traits. This study uses data from original online survey experiments in two countries to examine how voters react to disabled candidates’ self-portrayals. It draws upon real election material of disabled candidates to develop images using different framings and test their effects on voter perceptions. The findings provide unique evidence that is relevant for scholars in electoral behaviour and disability studies but also for candidates and parties themselves.