By Law Ibitoye
Disability Not a Barrier Initiative ( DINABI) with Funding From Disability Rights Fund (DFR), a Non Governmental Agency has trained journalists on the usage of acceptable terminologies while relating or reporting activities of persons with disabilities.
Adding that usage of derogatories words on persons with disabilities dampened their spirit which not only affected their productivity but alienated them from the society.
The Executive Director of DINABI Nigeria, Mr Funso Olajide Benjamin disclosed these during a one -day training workshop for select Journalists on Disability Inclusion and Media Accessibility in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.
Mr Funso who said the training became imperative for the society to know the negative effects derogatory statements have on people with disabilities, saying such statements hampered the productivity of the special persons .
While charging journalists to learn the correct terminologies and use them appropriately in their reportage, he said the right usage would not only make persons with disabilities felt loved but make them relevant in the society. He urged journalists to make their platforms accessible to PWD.
” I urged you to make your various platforms accessible to people with Disabilities especially visually impaired persons from the deaf communities to strengthen the capacity of the media in Ekiti state to understand what they want and how they want to be treated and addressed”
The Executive Director frown at derogatories words such as : imbecile, crippled, lame, your condition, which he said, dampened their spirit and reduced their productivity.” Such derogatories words make some of our members engage in nefarious activities in the society” He stressed further by defining disabilities according to UNCRPD ” Persons with disabilities include those who have long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others ”
While calling on government and the public to give people with disabilities equal treatment, Mr Funso opined that if they are provided necessary working tools they would compete favourably with their peers, saying they should not be pitied .
Mr Funso applauded media stations for their enlightenment programmes about people with disabilities.He urged them to upscale the enlightenments and programmes that would impact PWD positively in 2024.
He also applauded Governor Oyebanji for providing Ekiti State with six signs interpreters last year, he said the two assigned to Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State were not utilized, he called on the governor to impress it on the management of the station to make use of the sign interpreters on 7pm news daily.While appealing to other media stations especially print and online to roll out more programmes for the special persons .
Also, a resource person and an IT expert who is from a disability community, Mr Waheed Oguntade trained journalists on terminologies and importance of descriptions that accompany visuals for effective communication.
He said, disability was not a barrier. While calling on his members to utilize internet to acquire sound education. He advised parents of PWD not to confine them indoor, saying there are numerous opportunities that they could explore to achieve their dream.
While given his goodwill message, the chairman of NUJ, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi applauded the ingenuity of the organizers of the training, saying it would help restore confidence and self esteem of PWD. He assured DINABI unalloyed cooperation of Ekiti journalists on effective reportage.