Disability is not Inability

:: Media perpetuating discrimination…

In developing countries media products are limited and largely discriminate the community. While inclusion has increased discrimination persists. Starting with advertising, in the last five or ten years there has not been any advertisement (except the Mobil one) with a character or theme expressing disability in the multibillion shilling industry.

Companies like Safaricom and Celtel spend hundreds of millions on advertising but agents would not think of encouraging the deaf for example when advertising about texting (SMS is the only way the deaf communicate outside sign language).

What about Coca cola, East African Breweries, and BAT. What of banks. The disability community consumes these yet these companies may not wish to associate with them in public.

The issues therefore differ as to what is important in relation to media portrayal of disability. But the influence of the media in perpetuating discrimination is real and surprisingly overwhelming. As a society grow, so does social and therefore media expressions of disability change. In the developed world the issues are significantly different for the issues that cause or drive engagement in the developing world.

The media has power to influence parents to take their children with disabilities to school. It has power to encourage companies to employ persons with disabilities. It has power to influence inclusion in politics. It has power to reduce discrimination in health faculties. What more should do we need?

In Kenya we have grown in relation to inclusion in the media. We currently have a popular TV civic education programme translated in Kenya sign language. We have more social stories about positive disability issues like marriages and sports. However as this inclusion grows must we engage and find out what it means to inclusion in society.

While society fights to accept racial and tribal diversity, it has refused to accept diversity related to disability. The media worldwide stands guilty as charged. Even after Miss Disability beauty pageant no company wants to associate its beauty products with one of our beautiful women with a disabilities.

:: media perpetuating discrimination.

:: access at whatever cost.

:: disability engaging the media

:: disability and media regulation




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