US Agency Photoshops Images Of A Wheelchair User And A Blind Man On Cover Of Annual Diversity Report, Move Backfires

US governmental agency Office of the Direction of National Intelligence (ODNI) used photoshop to edit one of the stock pictures titled “multi-cultural office staff” and added a blind person and a wheelchair user in it for the cover of its annual diversity report.

The report provides information about the count of minority or individuals with disabilities working as professionals in the intelligence community.

This gaffe was first brought to notice by Republican Party political consultant Luke Thompson who tweeted, “For the cover of its diversity report, ODNI bought a stock photo called "Portrait Of Multi-Cultural Office Staff Standing In Lobby" and then photoshopped a woman in a wheelchair and a blind guy into it.”

In fact, the stock picture used for the report is already available for purchase from Shutterstock with the title of “Portrait of Multi-Cultural Office Staff Standing in Lobby.”

Moreover, even the images of the blind man and the women on the wheelchair can be bought from the Shutterstock website.

As per the Business Insider report, the latter is titled “Disabled White Background His Res”, whereas the picture of the blind person is labeled “Blind Person White Background Images”. However, the ODNI edited the man’s suit’s colour from beige to grey.

Various social media users reacted negatively at the apparent attempt by the agency to highlight the diversity in the office via the means of photoshop.