Disability organisation asks journalists to learn sign language

Hope for People with Disability on Sunday asked journalists to be in the forefront in incorporating the voice of people with disabilities by learning sign language.

Speaking during a sign language awareness meeting with Mzuzu-based journalists, Hope for People with Disability resource mobilisation officer Felix Nyirenda said if journalists learn sign language it will ensure that people with disabilities are not denied their right to be heard.

Nyirenda said journalists fail to capture the opinions of people with disabilities because they don’t know how to gather news using sign language.

“If people with disabilities are not given a platform in the news, that alone is a violation of their right to be heard. We call upon media houses to make a deliberate effort to equip their staff sign language skills,” he said.

Nyirenda said after the meeting, he expects improvement on how journalists in Mzuzu will be reporting gender based violence stories on people with disability.

He noted that men with disability are also abused and that should also be reflected in the media.

Malizani Gondwe, who allegedly suffered gender-based violence at the hands of his wife, wondered why women are not persecuted when they perpetuate violence towards men.

“Violence is violence whether is perpetuated by men or women and the treatment should be fair,” he said.

MIJ FM journalist Blessings Kaunda said the engagement will help him improve on how to report gender-based violence involving people with disability.

“We have discussed on how we can improve reporting cases of violence against people with disability. They too, should be heard,” he said.