Media and persons with disabilities

This side event focused on the impact that media can have in implementing article 8 of the CRPD: Awareness raising.

Panelists mentioned the 2014 SCOPE article: Current attitudes towards people with disability (Full article here ) and reflected on the extent to which many negative attitudes are reflected on media, and could be perpetuated OR changed through media.

Suggestions to change those attitudes were that media can foster:

- positive portraits of disabilities
- role model and leadership from individuals with disabilities
- better education

And ways to do that are:

- Support creating media campaigns, cartoon characters, tv shows characters who have disabilities.
Mainstreaming disabilities: having children and people with disabilities as part of regular tv casts.
- Make pressure on government to implement Article 8
- Identify partners interested in disability and media: publicity agencies, etc.

Panelists were members of the Global Alliance for Media and Entertainment (GADIM). Some great resources and more information can be found on their website.

Keiko