Madam Esther Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm Africa has lamented the situation where the world has not been able to benefit fully from the potential of persons with disability (PwDs) due to neglect and stigma.
She noted that the world needs all the capabilities it has and for that matter cannot lose the rich and untapped potentials in PwDs in its developmental drive.
However, she noted that following the unfounded perceptions, discrimination, stigma, and neglect against them they often hide their potential which when harnessed can contribute meaningfully to the development of the world. Madam Cobbah made the remark at the opening session of the second cohort of the Media Capacity Building Initiative for Reporting on Disability (MCBIRD) project in Takoradi in the Western Region.
Touching on the role of journalists in championing the issues of PwDs, she urged participants to facilitate the enjoyment of the rights of PwDs, bring to the fore their issues in a context that promotes their rights, promote and generate social empathy, and facilitate the disabled realising their full potential.She said journalists can do this by observing, researching and analysing the situation of the disabled and the context, determining what is required of different stakeholders in relation to the disabled, and understanding the mindset of the stakeholders
Madam Cobbah, therefore, urged journalists to commit more time to research and analysing their topics before publishing or broadcasting them and as well track the progress and impact of their work whiles collaborating with others to achieve the needed impact.She indicated that journalists can use channels of effective message delivery by analysing respective channels in relation to stakeholders, delivering relevant messages to stakeholders and coordinating for cumulative impact.
MCBIRD is a signature project by YALI TV in close collaboration with the U.S. Embassy Ghana, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), National Center on Disability and Journalism, and BlueCrest University College to train, empower and equip journalists who provide comprehensive reportage on the predicament, challenges, and impact of people with disability.
The initiative is to provide professional development, guidance, and resource platforms for effective reporting on people with disability (PwD); their lifestyle, challenges, and impact in Ghana with a focus on digital, print, and broadcast media.
