Representations of Disability in Advertising: An Audiovisual Analysis of Selected International/Transnational and Greek Advertising Spots by Vasiliki Manouilidou: Master’s Thesis Public Defense

The “Audiovisual Arts in the Digital Age” Postgraduate Programme of the Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Ionian University, cordially invites all interested parties to attend the public defense of the following Master’s thesis:

Thesis Title:

Representations of Disability in Advertising: An Audiovisual Analysis of Selected International/Transnational and Greek Advertising Spots

Candidate: Vasiliki Manouilidou

Supervisor: Dalila Honorato

Date & Time: 25 September 2026 - 16:00 Greece

Join via Zoom: https://ionio-gr.zoom.us/j/91961525308

Examination Committee

• Dalila Honorato - Professor, Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Ionian University
• Andreas Giannakoulopoulos - Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Music and Audiovisual Arts, Ionian University
• Agni Papadopoulou - Associate Professor, Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Ionian University

About the Thesis 

The Master’s thesis “Representations of Disability in Advertising: An Audiovisual Analysis of Selected International/Transnational and Greek Advertising Spots” examines the representation of disability in contemporary advertising, focusing on how meaning is constructed through images, narratives, and the creative choices employed in advertising campaigns. The theoretical section presents key approaches to the concept of disability, with particular emphasis on the transition from the medical to the social model, as well as contemporary developments related to the economic dimension of disability and the role of social media. The research section is based on a qualitative content analysis of seventeen advertising campaigns. Through comparative examination, different modes of representation emerge, ranging from dynamic and active portrayals to more subtle and everyday forms of presence. The analysis shows that different representations of disability are associated with social, cultural, and economic factors. Within the selected sample, some campaigns seek to present disability through more everyday and inclusive imagery, while in other cases disability is used to create emotional impact or strengthen corporate identity.

About the Candidate

Vasiliki Manouilidou is a graduate of the Department of Audio and Visual Arts of the Faculty of Music and Audiovisual Arts at Ionian University and a postgraduate student in the Department’s “Audiovisual Arts in the Digital Age” Master’s Programme. Since June 2025, she has been a PhD candidate at the Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Ionian University. Her doctoral research is entitled “Accessibility of individuals with visual impairments in art spaces: The importance of narrative technologies for the perception of visual artwork.” She is also attending the supplementary distance-learning programme “Special Education and Training: Diagnostic, Therapeutic, Counselling”, offered by the Center of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has been working as a photographer at a photography studio in Corfu since 2018. Her interests include new technologies, the Internet, and music.