Media organisations should make their content accessible to persons with disability - NGO

Peter Anomah-Kordieh, Programmes Advisor at Sightsavers, a non-governmental organisation, has called on media organizations to make their content accessible to persons with disabilities.

He said the media could use Assistive technology such as screen readers for blind persons, use of sign language interpreters on TV screens among others to make media content accessible to all types of persons with disability.

Mr Anomah-Kordieh gave the advice at a media training workshop and Disability and Mental Health Inclusion, dubbed: Ghana Participation Programme, a UK Aid funded programme being implemented by Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, in partnership with Basic Needs Ghana, Kings College London, Sightsavers International and Tropical Health, all non-governmental organisations.

Mr Anomah-Kordieh took participants through acceptable language to use when reporting on disability and urged the participants to always seek clarification from persons with disability themselves when reporting about them.

He urged the media to seek knowledge on the appropriate local language description for persons with disabilities, saying, most of the words and the proverbs used in the local language are derogatory to persons with disability.

Mr Fred Nantogmah, Knowledge Management and Communications Officer at Basic Needs Ghana said the media should not condone ableism and tokenism when reporting on disability issues.

Ableism is discrimination in favour of non-disabled persons and tokenism is a situation when members of a particular category are treated differently from other people.