Creating Awareness On Disability Issues
The Role Of Mass Media

By Govinda Adhikari

DISABILITY is a human reality. Disability and various related to disability have become a pressing concern of the society. Disability in inherent in nature, and human disability will exist as long as the human race exists. While some disabilities are congenital, every person stands the risk of being rendered disable in the course of life.

Definition

The incapacity to function optimally in daily life, due to a deficit in physical or mental functions, is a broad definition of disability. Indeed, there exists no absolute definition of disability. However, in very broad terms, four types of disabilities exist: blindness, deafness, physical handicaps and mental retardness. Blindness and deafness can be congenial or acquired through a disease or an incident. Similarly, physical handicaps can be congenial or the result of a disease or an accident. Mental retardness is usually the result of inadequate development of the mental capacity as opposed to physical development, and is not a mental disease.

Official figures concerning disables are crucial in shaping the state’s policies regarding the pertinent issues and in lending a voice of urgency to it. It is sad to note that there exists a ridiculous disparity in the various figures available on disability census. It is noteworthy that in 1976 the WHO estimated a total of 10 per cent of the world population to be disabled in some respect. Although a study conducted by the National Planning Commission through New Era showed 1.63 per cent of the total Nepalese population to be disabled, the figure has been widely disputed. The population census in B.S. 2037 had shown 3 per cent of the total population as disables, and a study in B.S. 2057 had shown 3.41 per cent of the population as disabled.

The Nepali society still views disability as a result of the sins committed in previous births, and the disabled individual is treated, as an object of pity. That a disabled person has equal rights and duties as compared to any individual is a notion largely absent from the popular mindset. The lack of legislatures addressing the needs of the disables and a lack of sensitiveness to disability issues in the creation of legislature is a reflection of this mindset. The international trend of taking the disables into consideration from legislative viewpoints to ensure their basic rights is a recent one. Although various legislations created in recent times in Nepal do take the disables into consideration, there has been no effective implementation of those provisions. Disability issue has only a mythical presence in the Nepali legislatures. This situation must be changed in order to ensure a better future for the disabled individuals of this nation.

The mass media in a society is a platform for voice of the voiceless, urging to create awareness on particular issues. It is largely up to the vision and capacity of those trying to create awareness to utilize the presence of a mass-media to their advantage. A competence in the part of the mass media is equally important. It can be said that the relationship is largely symbiotic the party seeking to utilize the media coaches the media appropriately, and the media utilizes this opportunity to be of greater value to the general population, thus securing its stance in the civic society. There is a great scope for the disability issues to be brought to the attention of the populace through an effective media campaign and much is yet to be done before this is achieved.

It is important to identify the mass that is the primary target of the campaign. A campaign designed to educate the entire society cannot function with a single particular group in focus; it must aim at utilizing all groups in the society in their optimal functions. There are numerous different sections of the society that must be educated in their specific purposes. For instance, while the Traffic Police must be made aware extensively of their role in helping and facilitating the disabled in various traffic-related issues, the local representatives must be trained to take disability related issues to appropriate legal platforms to create new legislations and identify discriminations in existing structures. Building designers and contractors should be made aware of the absolute need for disable friendly features in the design. Employers and employment-opportunity creators should be made to realize that there are certain posts of employment where giving preference to disables could be beneficial. The students need to be made sensitive to disability issues not only as a long-term social investment, but also as the most direct and effective tool at educating illiterate and inadequately instructed parents.

The ultimate test of the mass, and of the campaign designed at creating awareness among the mass on disability issues is whether the society as a whole, and consequently the state, changes its practices regarding disability issues and reflects this change by creating special provisions and legislatures aimed at making this social change a permanent one. When the knowledge given by the media successfully changes the attitude of the people, the people practice a newfound conscience, an updated conscience that requires them to be as sensitive to disability issues as they are to other human issues.

The priorities of a mass campaign have changed over the years, both because of a change in the attitude of the mass and change in the attitude of the media campaigners. Whereas previously the attempt was aimed at identifying disability to the mass and creating an ambiance of cooperation, now the drive is towards creating necessary background for more specialised approach towards solving various existing problems related to disability issues.

It has been seen that access to and exchange of information can be very beneficial to any awareness campaign. It has also been seen that most campaigns fail because of the lack of an effective information exchange and coordination mechanism. A common archive of information that can be accessed by every party involved in the campaign can go a long way in assisting campaign developers in face of unique situations. It is important to update such an archive to ensure that the information accessible to the campaign developers and promoters is accurate and capable of being used as a tool to bring about substantial change. A central archive with research facilities should be established, and relations with disability related campaigners internationally should be forged to facilitate future actions of the campaigns.

Sensitive

Any campaign should be sustained and directed towards definite goals. Awareness campaigns on disability issues require the campaigners to be sensitive to the needs and nature of the mass, and have the flexibility to address the mass through various media as the situation arises. As a change in social practice is the end goal, any achievement in this front should be recognized, documented and promoted to lend additional fuel to the campaign. It is very important to realize that the language of the campaign is instrumental is determining the attitude of both the campaigners and the mass towards the objectives of the campaign.

Other Story

• Efforts At Countering Terrorism