Journalists Cautioned On PWDs

The Organization of Persons With Disabilities (OPD) has urged journalists and media houses to avoid the use of derogatory languages while reporting issues that affect Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

The executive director, Women With Disabilities Self Reliance Foundation, Mrs Riskat Mohammed, made the appeal during a meeting with journalists in Kaduna at the weekend.

She said it was important for journalists and media houses at the forefront of information, gathering, processing and disseminating to be in tune with the acceptable global terms when they discuss or report about PWDs.

“The media needs to acknowledge and adopt the dynamics of PWD language to avoid using terms that promote stigma and discrimination,” she said.

Participants at the meeting resolved that there was need for adequate training of journalists on PWD issues to enable them have more knowledge and report appropriately.

The participants resolved to establishment a robust partnership between OPD and the media as a collaborative means of engagement.

They noted that the low coverage and improper handling of PWD issues in the media had inadvertently contributed to stigma and discrimination rather than protection.

They identified lack of adequate training for journalists on PWD issues and the failure to use appropriate language as a significant gap, hence, the need for training of media practitioners.