Four Ghana News Agency Journalists have been selected to participate in a two-day training in Disability Reporting for selected journalists across the country.
Mrs Hannah Awadzi, Online Editor, Mrs Mildred Siabi -Mensah, Editor in the Western Region, Mr Albert Futukpor, an Editor in the Northern Region, and Ms Victoria Agyemang, a stringer in the Central Region.
The training dubbed: “Media Capacity Building Initiative for Reporting on Disability 2022” (MCBIRD) has 20 outstanding media professionals attending and was organized by the Young Africa Media Centre (YAMC) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), and Blue Crest University with funding from the US Embassy, Ghana.
Mr Stephen Selasi Asuo, the General Manager of YAMC, said journalists played a vital role in the national development and needed to be trained to influence change in policy making and societal narratives.
In that regard, Journalists needed the right information, knowledge and skills to increase awareness on disability to effectively provide inclusive space for persons living with disability in the country.
The media, he said, could set the agenda by bringing the issues of disabled into the spotlight of national conversation.
He said the importance of the media in enhancing the disability discourse could not be over-emphasised and urged them to increase the efforts to meet the challenges of marginalised and promote an inclusive society since more than 10 per cent of Ghanaians lived with a form of disability.
Mrs Joyce Asiedu, the Press Relations Officer at the US Embassy, acknowledged the work of the Young Africa Media Centre for championing the cause of inclusion with the media capacity building initiative, adding that this was the second time running that the US Embassy had partnered YAMC on the initiative.
She said the United States was committed to fostering accountability and capacity-building globally to advance the rights of persons with disabilities in all their diversity … “we are happy to be part of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) by the United Nations.”
The United States government, the Press Relations Officer said recognized the inherent value of people with disabilities as individuals and acknowledges the collective value of their contributions and their participation in schools, workplaces, and communities everywhere.
She noted that it was utmost priority to disrupt the narrative on disability that marginalizes persons with disabilities through the media, adding, “free, responsible, protected media is an essential part of any thriving democracy.”
Ms Asiedu said supporting MCBIRD was another feather in the cup towards inclusiveness and the elimination of stigma.
She congratulated the participants for being the distinguished fellows, adding, “We are super proud that you were selected to make this happen.
Society looks up to you for results and so do we. Don’t let this be a wasted effort, stand up and be counted among those that underwent this training and really made an impact in your reportage.”