By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, Nov. 10, GNA – Dr Harrison Kofi Belley, Chairman of the Volta Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has called on media practitioners to remain at the forefront of promoting inclusion, defending disability rights, and championing equal opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
He said society could be built where disability was not a basis for discrimination but an opportunity to demonstrate humanity, compassion, and commitment to equality.
Dr Belley made the call during a Regional Media Capacity-Building Workshop on Disability-Inclusive Reporting for Journalists in Ho.
The workshop, held on the theme: “Effective Media Reporting on Disability: Promoting Economic Justice and Inclusion through Responsible Journalism,” forms part of the European Union-funded project, Strengthening the Capacity of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities for Promoting Inclusion in Ghana.
The project is being implemented jointly by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), as Lead Applicant, in partnership with the Mental Health Society of Ghana and the Africa Disability Institute (ADI) as Co-Appli-cants.
“Inclusion for PWDs begins, when we change our attitudes, continues, when we remove barriers and succeeds when everyone has an equal opportunity to participate,” Dr Belley said.
He emphasised that the media was uniquely positioned to shape public opinion, influence policy, challenge discrimination, and transform communities.
“When the media reports responsibly about disability, society becomes more informed. When the media gives persons with disabilities a voice, society becomes more democratic. When the media challenges stereotypes, society becomes more accepting,” he added.
Dr Belley noted that the media also had the power to promote accessibility and equal opportunities, thereby contributing to a more inclusive society
He called on stakeholders to work collectively towards building an inclusive society where persons with disabilities were valued for their abilities, contributions, and potential rather than being defined by their disabilities.
He urged society to ensure that no one was excluded, silenced, or denied opportunities on the basis of disability, stressing the need to promote equal participation and dignity for all persons.
Mr Francis Asong, Executive Director of ADI, said media reporting significantly shaped public perception of persons with disabilities, their capabilities, challenges, rights, and aspirations.
He observed that disability reporting was often characterised by stereotypes, sensationalism, pity, and charity-based narratives, which portrayed PWDs mainly as recipients of assistance rather than citizens, professionals, entrepreneurs, leaders, innovators, and contributors to economic development.
Mr Asong said disability should not be viewed merely as an individual condition but as an issue influenced by environmental, institutional, social, and attitudinal barriers.
He stressed that reporting on disability should go beyond impairment and personal circumstances to examine the policies, systems, and practices that either facilitate or hinder the participation of persons with disabilities.
He expressed the hope that the workshop would help improve disability reporting across newsrooms, broadcast stations, online publications, and other media platforms.
Mr Asong urged journalists to make use of the Positive Disability Terminology Guide and Checklist as practical reference tools in their daily professional work.
Madam Elikplim Afua Klu, Regional Director of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations, identified barriers to financial inclusion for persons with disabilities, including inaccessible banking halls and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), incompatible digital platforms, communication barriers, and discriminatory lending and insurance practices.
She urged journalists to highlight services that were accessible to all customers and monitor the effectiveness of interventions designed to support PWDs.
On social protection, Madam Klu encouraged the media to track programmes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), disability-related support initiatives, District Assembly interventions, as well as skills development and employment programmes and seek whether those interventions were benefiting PWDs.
She said social protection was not a substitute for employment, accessible services, or equal opportunities.
Madam Klu said the media must expose discrimination and inaccessible systems, investigate the implementation of disability-related laws, highlight inclusive employers and businesses, provide platforms for PWDs to express their views, monitor public spending on disability programmes, and promote accessible information and public awareness.
She stressed that economic justice was a right and not charity, adding that disability discrimination must be investigated and exposed, while accessibility remained essential for economic participation and national development.
Mr Charles Nyante, Director of Operations at ADI, noted that language and framing played a critical role in disability reporting because words shaped public attitudes and influenced how audiences understood disability issues.
He said journalists should adopt positive disability terminology by using dignified, respectful, and specific language; placing the person before the impairment; avoiding expressions that imply tragedy, helplessness, or inferiority; and refraining from using disability as a label or insult.
He also advised journalists to avoid unnecessary references to disability and mention a person’s disability only when it was relevant to the story.
Mr Nyante further urged journalists to recognise the achievements and agency of persons with disabilities without sensationalising their experiences.
He added that interviews with persons with disabilities should be conducted with respect, informed consent, and due regard for privacy.
GNA
Edited by Christopher Arko/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Maxwell Awumah
Email: [email protected]