by Chris Agbo
One of the leading disability advocacy organization, Inclusive Friends Association(IFA) on 18-19 November, 2020 in Akwanga, Nassarawa State brought together journalists for a two-day capacity building workshop titled Disability focused Media Reporting Training for Journalists with the agenda (Social Protection: Include me).
The workshop is part of the activities of project supported by Save the Children to enhance the inclusion of persons with disabilities(PWDs) in the National Social Protection Policy.
The Executive Director of IFA, Miss Grace Jerry, in her opening speech, said that the essence of the workshop is to get the media to understand the social protection programmes and how PWDs has been excluded. There is over 30million Nigerians with disabilities, which in reality are not being reached by authorities in charge of social protection programmes and these programmes are designed to increase economic wellbeing of the poor.
Speaking further, she said that it is because of this that Save The Children are partnering with IFA to work out ways in which PWDs would be included in the interventions associated to these programmes.
“In order for us to bring this issue and other issues of PWDs to the front burner, all stakeholders have to be involved because IFA cannot do it alone, first we have to build an alliance with the media who can hold the authorities accountable to include PWDs in Social Protection Programmes. Having a synergy with the media, provide for them relevant documents and technical support while they carry out their own research and put out report that is accurate and with the right message to achieve positive change” she said.
The Social Inclusion Officer-CDGP, Save the Children, Esther Angulu in her goodwill message congratulated IFA for putting together the workshop, saying that it is a crucial time for disability inclusion in Social Protection programmes because National Social Protection Policy that came into being in 2017 is undergoing a review and disability inclusion which is in the front burner in all sectors, Save the Children being an organization that works around social protection decided to ensure disability inclusion is inculcated into the policy.
“That’s why we are partnering with IFA to ensure that PWDs are included in all social protection programmes and the media is key towards ensuring that we bring the disability issues in relation to social protection to the frontburner” she said.
Grace Jerry while taking the participants on understanding disability (models) made them to understand that impairment became a disability when it has interacted with the barriers posed by the society, the different types of disability and different models. She advised that social and rights approaches would be what the media should adopt while reporting disability issues because the medical and charity model are disenabling.
She also emphasized on the use of the right terminologies, so she read out some of the right terms the media should be using while referring to different types of disability in accordance with United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities(UNCRPD).
“Always consult us or any other notable disability advocacy organization who have indepth knowledge about disability issues to verify before using if you are not sure, you can as well print out the right terminologies from the document we are going to share and paste it in your office” she concluded.
Esther Angulu during her session explained that social protection is designed to cushion the effect of the shocks an individual may experience within his life cycle. She explained that social protection meant to reduce poverty and inequality and over past months and years, Nigeria has worked on strengthening the social protection policies and programmes by formulating National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) 2017, National Safety Nets and Social Transfer Programmes and Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. She informed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved review of the National Social Protection Policy and going by this window, the Save The Children are working with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to ensure inclusion of PWDs in all social protection programmes because it is difficult to ascertain the number or percentage of PWDs in the schemes presently.
She went further to propose a social protection programme that would be targeted to PWDs because of the challenges and barriers associated with disability in relation with social protection. While highlighting barriers faced by PWDs which has brought about extra cost for PWDs, she urged the media to help to amplify the project that Save The Children is embarking through IFA in order to help in addressing these issues.
Jide Ojo, the Executive Director, Oja Consults, in his session on Reframing Disability in News and The Role of Media in Disability Awareness, reminded the media practitioners that the way they frame the message about PWDs is the way the public will perceive them. He said that the media is the fourth estate of the realm, their primary role is to hold government accountable so they should be able to ask questions about how far government have gone in the implementation of disability laws and policies. He also said that the media is so powerful that he describes them as sword of democracy because they can make or mar a government. The implication is that it is the media that should be setting agenda on all issues including disability issues. They should be mindful the way they frame disability stories because whatever they dish out is what the public will believe. He advised the participants to ensure that they use the right disability terminologies, avoid over sensationalism of disability issues, stop reporting PWDs as superheroes or as object of pity. He also advised the participants to arm themselves with relevant documents, tools and instruments and ensure that they consult and refer to them while reporting disability issues.
Eugenia Abu, Multimedia Strategist while facilitating a session told the participants that they should portray PWDs with dignity and respect because that is how the public would view PWDs. She advised them that venturing into disability reportage should born out of passion, if they should put in their best in promoting disability inclusion in the media. It would distinguish them and possibly earn them accolades. She tutored that not every story about a PWD that his or her disability should be reflected, if the person’s disability is not the focal point on the story, it is advisable to play down the person’s disability.
She charged the participants to do many stories on disability inclusion, saying that it is important because it geared towards building a better society.
She urged the participants to ensure that they pass on the knowledge gained to their colleagues to further help in the promotion of disability inclusion in media reportage for the good of the society.
The workshop also witnessed breakout sessions where the participants practiced what they were taught by these seasoned facilitators to arm them with information, skills, tactics and the participants developed disability stories that they would to working on and publish to enhance disability inclusion in the media reportage.
TQM learnt that the other activities on the project are Situation Analysis, capacity building of relevant stakeholders including leaders of PWDs and the project is being piloted in 4 States-Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna and Jigawa.
Some pictures of the workshop:
