‘Ultimately, It’s about Who You Are and What You Show’: Disabled Advocates’ Use of Impression Management to Influence Public Disability Representations

Although disabled advocates influence debates around public disability representations through their personal and professional insights, the processes by which they manage these representations have been largely overlooked. This study explores how Dutch disabled advocates present themselves (i.e., impression management) to navigate and influence public disability representations. Thematic analysis of interviews with 25 disabled advocates, representing diverse disability types, identified three main ways. The advocates emphasised that public disability representations shape the opportunities and barriers individuals with disabilities face. Nevertheless, they were able to mitigate the impact of these representations using impression management. The participants argued that influencing public disability representation is a collective responsibility for individuals with disabilities, while acknowledging that not everyone has the capability or desire to do so. Rehabilitation programmes and educational curricula should include training on how to navigate public disability representations. This involves fostering a deeper understanding of disability and implementing programmes to support impression management strategies.