• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / Arts, Culture and Sport / Scope accused of ‘exploitation’ after seeking disabled writer to work for free
Bemused disabled man shakes hands

Scope accused of ‘exploitation’ after seeking disabled writer to work for free

By John Pring on 16th January 2020 Category: Arts, Culture and Sport

Listen

A disability charity has been accused of “exploitative” and “disgraceful” behaviour after asking disabled journalists to write an article for its website without payment.

The charity Scope sent out a message on social media this week seeking a “disability blogger” who could write an article about sex and relationships on a “voluntary” basis for its online disability forum.

The request caused anger among a string of disabled writers, who reminded the charity that disabled journalists were often “devalued” and exploited and asked to provide free content.

Natasha Hirst, the disabled members’ representative on the national executive committee of the National Union of Journalists, told Disability News Service (DNS): “Disabled journalists are often expected to provide free content.

“This is a common problem for freelancers but disabled journalists especially are devalued and this needs to be challenged.

“The National Union of Journalists firmly believes that if work is worth publishing, it is worth paying for.

“We would hope that Scope, as a disability charity, seeks to change their approach going forward and pay disabled contributors if they are commissioning pieces of work.”

Writer and film-maker Richard Butchins said: “Unfortunately it’s not at all unusual for corporate organisations to blag free written content, on the grounds it’s good exposure for the writer.

“If they really want a writer they should be prepared to pay. This is just a way for them to get free content they don’t care about.

“It makes them look caring and inclusive while the actual work is carried out by some disabled person in a dark cellar full of words.

“If they want content, especially from disabled writers, then it should be paid for.”

Another disabled writer, Eleanor Lisney, told DNS that Scope “milks disabled people for all it can”, both as objects of pity to secure donations and also as free labour, and on this occasion “by expecting us to produce stories as ‘peer to peer’ support” without payment.

Journalist and access and inclusion expert Mik Scarlet said on Twitter: “You’d think that any charity that campaigns to get disabled people into work could hire them and pay freelancers. Devaluing our input doesn’t look good or sit well.”

Writer Sasha Saben Callaghan said Scope’s behaviour was “exploitative and disgraceful”.

She said on Twitter: “Here is a major charity, which gives a fortune to its top management, but is apparently expecting a disabled writer to work for a mention on social media.

“If Scope wants this piece written, then they ought to pay the going rate. They can afford it.”

There was also anger from other disabled campaigners.

Natalya Dell said on Twitter: “It is not OK for charities to commission writing and not pay for it at market rates.

“Scope is not poor, Scope can afford to pay people for their time, knowledge and expertise.

“We need to keep calling this nonsense out. Scope is big enough and has enough money to pay people for their time and efforts.”

Another criticism of the charity, which is not run and controlled by disabled people, came from @Bubblejet, who said the payment issue was “pure #cripsploitation”.

She added on Twitter: “Not only is there the payment issue, but I’ve had 35 years of being asked to tell strangers about my sex life ‘as an example’. I’m sick of it! It’s intrusive & othering!”

Warren Kirwan, head of communications at Scope, said: “Our online community is an open and honest forum where disabled people can come together and offer peer to peer support.

“That’s backed up with monitoring, advice and expertise from our staff.

“It’s a platform for disabled people and their families and – like our information and advice helpline – it’s free to use and not monetised in any way.

“We’ve seen the responses on Twitter and we’ll consider the feedback.”

Picture: A scene from a short film released as part of Scope’s much-criticised End the Awkward campaign in 2015

 

A note from the editor:

Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations.

Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009.

Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS…

Share this post:

Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on Reddit

Tags: Disability disabled journalists freelance journalism NUJ Scope

Related

Benefit levels are too low to meet disabled people’s needs, MPs hear
18th May 2023
We don’t care if our disability ambassadors are disabled, government admits
4th May 2023
Labour’s broken promise could see it finally face legal action over years of discrimination
1st December 2022

Primary Sidebar

Chichester Festival Theatre, Everyone’s Welcome

Access

Latest Stories

DWP hands hundreds of millions more to firms linked to claimant deaths… but not Atos

Review finds multiple agencies failed over Whorlton Hall abuse scandal

Regulator tells government’s access advisers to act on unlawful secrecy

Government breaks pledge to consult on improvements to housing adaptations

Broadcaster’s silence over ‘rabblerouser’ tweet on disability benefits

Met’s mental health emergency warning ‘risks creating serious harm’

Call for direct action protests to build support for ‘radical’ social care reform

Disabled mum took her own life after actions of DWP and Capita ‘magnified’ anxiety

Public inquiry on inaccessible footbridge will be ‘line in the sand’, say activists

Thousands of disabled people tell MPs: Cost-of-living crisis is affecting our health

Advice and Information

Readspeaker

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web