BBC media Action engages Stakeholders to raise awareness on the employability of persons with disabilities in FCT

by Chris Agbo

BBC Media Action on 4^th of December, 2019 in Abuja organized Abuja stakeholders meeting on media engagement to the implementation of Nigeria disability act, UNCRPD and other policies as regards to improving the employability of persons with disabilities.

The participants at the meeting were media practitioners, organization of persons with disabilities (OPDs), Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.

It is a three-year project supported by DFID to increase the employability of persons with disabilities. The project is expected to do the following to achieve the set objectives:

1. Capacity building of PWDs with employable skills
2. Reviewing the curriculum of TVTE’s to integrate employable skills and that of professional institute to mainstream inclusiveness
3. Through Chartered Institite of Personnel Management, we are increasing the disability-awareness of HR professionals
4. With the OPDs, they are advocating to the federal state government to implement the employment quota in the national disability act
5. Via the organized private sector and NGO forums, they are sensitizing and reviewing the HR policies of their members organization
6. Leveraging on the local media partners to increase employers and public awareness on the potential of PWDs to organization.

They will be working in six states, one each in geopolitical zones and FCT. The states are Enugu, Bauchi, AkwaIbom, Kwara, Lagos, Kano and FCT. The pilot phase is in Lagos, Kano and FCT.

Dr. Adebayo, the chairman of JONAPWD, Lagos Chapter, who was the resource person at the meeting took the participants the legislation and policies on disability issues, how disability has gained prominent because the SDGs at a large extent captured the needs of persons with disabilities. The essence of the session was getting the media and other participant abreast with the relevant laws and instrument that has equip them to use their platforms to propagate the issues affecting persons with disabilities.

The participants were grouped to do an exercise of identifying the barriers faced by persons with disabilities, make suggestions on how these barriers can be removed.

 The major takeaways from the meeting were:

1. Media houses should stop sending different faces to cover disability issues to aid expertise on disability related reportage.
2. MDAs should study their law, find out where their roles within the law and put process in place to support implementation.
3. Media houses should make their buildings accessible up to their studios to ensure person with disabilities access their facilities whenever they have interviews.
4. Media houses should bring the disability perceptive on any topic on development because disability is a crosscutting issue, it touches every sector.
5. Media houses should always invite those who have the requisite knowledge to speak on disability issues in order to push across the right message.
6. Media should take ownership of the disability issues and formulate programmes to sensitize the public.
7. Advocacy should be taken to National Universities Commission to introduce disability reporting in the mass communication curriculum in the Universities across Nigeria. This will encourage some journalists can pick it up as area of interest.   

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