Blessing Nduku & Tanaka Chare
In a bid to promote inclusive and sensitive reporting, journalists in Gweru underwent a comprehensive training workshop on disability reporting organized by Deaf Women last week.
Executive Director of Deaf Women, Agness Chindimba emphasized the importance of avoiding stereotypes and stigmatizing language on disability issues.
“People should not use the term disability as a noun rather consider a person first before their disability because it does not define who we are.
Name-calling like Mbeveve and Chirema prejects stigmatising language and it should be avoided rather than say person with a hearing disability. Disability is not charity or illness that needs to be cured.”
Chindimba went on to give tips to journalists on how to conduct interviews with people with disabilities in a respective and dignified manner.
“Interviewing persons with physical disability one is not supposed to move the wheelchair or lean on it, persons who are hard of hearing need facial and body gestures in support of words as well as written information if they can read and write moreover, for people with visual impairments require a specific description of the interviewee and when handing them something you should tell them what it is. “
DWI’s mission is to empower Deaf women to claim access to information, health services, education and employment opportunities and to influence the government, private sector and civil society to take the rights of Deaf Women into account in policymaking and policy implementation.
“Disability is always evolving it has moved from the Charity model which consisted of stigmatizing language and human rights model and changed the old narrative on disability.
The human rights model has been designed to empower women through employment and skills such that we have managed to get 240 jobs for women with disability in Harare and 120 in Bulawayo.
For educational programs, we have about 12 courses and l teach African sign language online.”
Agness furthermore highlighted on media being the platform and for journalists to practice responsible reporting and coverage on programs that include disability. Hiring journalists with a disability is also important as it is part of the inclusion.
Advocacy of disability in advertisements should not be a myth or misconception rather it should be normalized.
“Media houses should appoint a disability focal point desk and create an environment that is disability friendly.”
The workshop was organized by Deaf Women Included (DWI), a local organization that advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities. Deaf Women Included is a grassroots organization that was founded by Agness Chindimba in 2014 and it works with deaf women from across all provinces in Zimbabwe.
