PHOTO: Panelist at a media and civil society roundtable in Monrovia
By Kay Mantor
To help them achieve their rightful place in national development, People With Disabilities In Liberia are rallying the media to step up the flagging of issues affecting PWD.
“The media play vital role promoting the interest of PWD,” said Alonso D. Dixon, Secretary General of the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) over the weekend during a media and society civil roundtable on PwDs organized by Internews and supported by USAID.
The forum was held on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at the Monrovia Christian Fellowship Center on 9th Street in Sinkor and it coincided with the commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The day was declared in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.
According to the United Nations, “around 15 per cent of the world’s population, or estimated 1 billion people, live with disabilities. They are the world’s largest minority.” Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities | United Nations Enable
According to Elizabeth’s Legacy of Hope, 99% of the 48% in poverty in Liberia are those with disabilities.“61% have a mobility disability, 24% are visually impaired, 7% are deaf, and 8% have an intellectual or psychosocial disability.”
The observance of the day aims to create awareness and promote an understanding of disability issues, mobilize support, respect for inherent dignity, fundamental human rights and well-being of persons living with Disabilities.
It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derive from the integration of persons with Disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
On that day, hundreds of Liberians living with Disabilities joined the rest of the world to commemorate the day.
The weekend Internews roundtable brought together PwD, media personnel, an official of the National Elections Commission (NEC) and other stakeholders from various entities and other partners.
NUOD’s Secretary General Dixon said that the Liberian media should give voice to issues concerning PwD-friendly as well employ the increasing number of persons with disabilities who have graduated from several media/Journalism training schools in Liberia.
The weekend media and society roundtable was held under the theme: “Transforming solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world.”
Peterking Quaye, Executive Director for West Africa ICT Action Network (WAICTANet) told the roundtable that there is a need to give PwDs to give access to the internet and information, in order for them to contribute their quota to society.
According to him, persons with disabilities have demonstrated innovation and said ICT equipment must be PwD-friendly, something that is in line with the Sustainalbe Development (SDG) goals 10 and 8.
The roundtable held over the weekend was intended to promote and demand the rights and well-being of persons with Disabilities in all of society and development, through awareness raising on the situation of PwDs in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled has asked the Liberian government and international partners to do more to promote the interst of persons with disabilities and bring an end to discrimination.