Disability influencers and self-representation: The intersecting medical and social models of disability on Instagram

Disability is a complex topic, despite 1 in 4 Americans having some kind of disability. Social media form a powerful tool for the social inclusion of people with disabilities, allowing them to seek and share information. Self-representation is a part of this dynamic, revolving around conscious creative choices and curated self-expression within a mediatized habitat. The current study examined disability influencers on social media to understand their self-representation strategies and the discourse they use to communicate about disability. Content from disability influencers ( N = 14) was textually and visually analyzed for self-representation strategies, and comparison of the medical and social models of disability was made. Findings revealed these models are not always in opposition. Disability was found to be a complex topic, especially in light of visible and invisible representation with influencers positioning themselves in relation to larger societal structures, social media affordances, and disability discourses.