By Oliver Nweke
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Mr. James Lalu, has called on media houses to give prominence and priority to reporting issues surrounding disability rights.
The ES who was represented by the Director, Social Integration, NCPWD, Mr. Lawrence Idemudia highlighted the strides the country has achieved in promoting disability rights under President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him “disability rights are human rights, adding that the role media plays in promoting disability rights, cannot be overemphasized”.
“As you pay attention and participate in this training program, you will be well enlightened on reporting deaf issues.
“I am happy with the large turnout; your presence shows your determination to improve reportage on disability matters.
“We need to do things in new ways. Reporting issues affecting PWDs have always been relegated to the background and even when its reported the focus is on the disability and not on the issues. The narrative needs to change.
“I believe this DWAI training programme for reporters will improve your skill in reporting on PWDs in general. Our issues are of rights and not charity, we are human and should enjoy life and wellbeing same as every person.
In her welcome address, the organizer of the training, the Executive Director, Deaf Women Aloud Initiative (DWAI), Mrs. Hellen Anurika Beyioku-Alase, praised the media for their turnout for the launch of the book and training.
Mrs. Beyioku-Alase states “this book (Disability-Related Guide For Media Reporting on Deaf Survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is aimed at providing insightful information, particularly to professionals in the media who, in the course of discharging their media duties, might come across incidents of gender base violence and SGBV in Nigeria among PWDs.
“Today is important, with support from Urgent Action Fund we are able to produce a handbook on reporting on issues of persons with disabilities. In many instances when you are reporting issues of gender-based violence, the media house focusses more on our disabilities than on the issues.
“Deaf women are at high risk of gender-based violence in Nigeria, but the media hardly report our stories, and when they do report them, the report is disability based rather than the gender violence.
“This book is produced to assist media in reporting issues of women and girls with disabilities without stereotyping us.
We want the media to stop the use of wrong terminologies, this on itself influence the public in the stereotype of us. Also, we want to build awareness on disability issues and encourage media houses to pay more attention to covering issues and programs of PWDs.
This book will help media houses and reporters in the use of right terminologies in writing and reporting PWDs.
We need media to amplify our voice in the society. Without media we cannot be heard. After the launch, we are engaging media houses and reporters for two days here in Denis Hotel, the training prograame is aimed at helping media houses and reporters to be well informed on disability issues, disability terminologies and reporting.