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Media sensitised to report ethically on persons with disabilities
Media personnel and NCD members in an interactive role-play session
NCD members and media personnel
Individuals with disabilities have endured years of exclusion, rejection and labeling, but over the years, Guyana’s National Commission for Disability (NCD) has sought to change that.
In its advocacy for equal opportunities for this community, NCD is sensitising the media in ethical reporting for persons with disabilities (PWDs). This was highlighted at the organisation’s Media Summit on Saturday, which was attended by members of Guyana’s Press Association, members of NCD as well as the Prime Minister’s Legal Advisor, among other persons. The event was held under the theme “Nothing about Us, Nothing without us”.
NCD-a semi- governmental organisation, geared at influencing and enforcing laws that will protect the rights of persons with disabilities, is lobbying for a much more ethical approach in reporting when dealing with individuals with disabilities. The concept of the event encompassed the fact that media professionals wield the power of influence as educators and communicators of the public. Consequently, these individuals possess the ability to, whether directly or indirectly, shape the portrayed image of persons with disabilities to the public. The words and images that members of the media fraternity use are major determinants in whether the public will view PWD’s in a positive perspective or whether they will be seen in an insensitive light that reinforces common myths and perpetuates discrimination.
Furthermore, NCD in its fight for respect for the members of its communities has set out guidelines for media operatives to function under when dealing with persons with disabilities. However, the organisation related that members of the media were not as cooperative as they would have liked in their reporting. Simone Poole-a member of NCD, while delivering her Disability Etiquette Presentation, explained that media operatives were still referring to persons with disabilities as ‘differently able’, ‘dumb’ ‘mute’ among other terms. These, she went on to say, were not acceptable terms by the standards of the United Nation’s Convention.
Ganesh Singh- disability rights advocate-explained that the injustices that persons with disabilities often have to experience was expected to be mitigated with the Guyana PWD Act, which was passed in 2010.However, this is not yet so, the organization is still lobbying for inclusion within the various sectors in society.
Notably, the Prime Minister’s Legal Advisor in her address stated that persons with disabilities must be meaningfully included into decision-making processes in the country- whether culturally, socially or economically.
The Summit saw media personnel participating in interactive sessions with persons with disabilities. Skills, which were acquired through the informative session, were later demonstrated and in turn, members of NCD gave feedback.
NCD is urging the media fraternity to show respect through the words that they write and say which depict the image of the PWD community. The organisation is urging persons to treat these individuals as they would any other seemingly normal person. NCD places the onus on the media for the image of this community that is portrayed to the public.
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