THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN IMPROVING

MARKET ACCESS FOR PERSONS WITH

DISABILITIES (PWDS)
GUPAR MAURICE DAZUHUR,
Programme Manager,
potters gallery initiative
HOW THE MEDIA IS USED

 The purpose of the media is to give information

about current news, gossips, Fashion, and the
latest gadgets in the marketplace of the people.
The role of the media has to be one way trading
and marketing of products, and prejudices. It
gives geographical knowledge about how people
are divided. They educate, inform and entertain
through news, features and analysis in the press..
THE MEDIA…….

 They also produce documentaries, dramas, current

affairs programmes, public service announcements,
magazine programmes and other forms of
programming for radio and television. Media has the
power to influence individual beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviours. They are also a very powerful force because
it tells the society what it needs to do. The media can
swift up the conversations that are happening or will
happen in a country at a particular time.
.
 PAV ANSAH said “In a democratic society, actions of the
government, which is only a trustee of the collective will
and power of the people, are expected to be regulated by
the force of public opinion, and the press is the most
appropriate medium for gauging and reflecting public
opinion. In the absence of any such mechanism for
regularly monitoring and evaluating the government’s
performance before the bar of public opinion, there’s a
great likelihood of the government falling into
complacency, unresponsiveness and irresponsibility”.
MARKET ACCESS

Market access refers to the ability of

a company or country to sell goods
and services across borders. Market
access can be used to refer to
domestic trade as well as
international trade, although the
latter is the most common context
DISABILITY: AN OVERVIEW OF WORLD
HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
 Disability is part of being human. Almost
everyone will temporary or permanently
experience disability at some point in their life.
Disability result from the interaction between
individuals with health condition such as cerebral
palsy, down syndrome and depression as well as
personal and environmental factors including
negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation
and public buildings, and limited social support.
 People with Disabilities (PWDs) experience
less access to market, education and work
opportunities, and are more likely to live in
poverty than those without a disability. The
good news is that great progress has been
made to make the world more accessible for
PWDs but more work is also required to
meet their needs.
WHO report that, there has been a global increase in the
population of Persons with disabilities, over one billion
people - about 15% of the global population.
About eighty percent of these population live mostly in
low-income or developing countries, Nigeria included.
PWDs constitute an impoverished, marginalized group,
characterized by lack of market access, to public health,
education, and other social services that would ideally
support and protect them.
THE NIGERIA SITUATION:

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria

constitute 15% of the estimated 201million
population we have, this puts their population at over
30.1million.
The effort and advocacy from stakeholders, led to
the signing of the disability bill into law in January
2019, by President Mohammadu Buhari, and it was
the law that led to the establishment of the National
Disability Right Commission.
SOCIAL MODEL

This model recognizes that the problems of

PWDs are situated in social structures. Also
that, people with disabilities have
impairment but further say that it is the way
society is constructed that causes a disability
for those with the impairment.
 it simply preaches inclusive society taking
into consideration the diversity that exits.
RIGHT-BASED MODEL
The Right-based approach is backed
by the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(UNCRPD) which came into force in
2008. It’s a legal binding instrument
which has been widely ratified.
 Most recently, the CRPD under Article 27 explicitly
lays down this right which state that “States
Parties recognize the right of persons with
disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others;
this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a
living by work freely chosen or accepted in a
labour market and work environment that is
open, inclusive and accessible to persons with
disabilities”.
 However, despite significant focus and attention
to inclusive employment, PWDs continue to be
disproportionately excluded from the labour
market. The UN Disability and Development
Report reports that across the world the
employment to population rate for PWDs aged 15
years and  older is 36% on average, compared to
60% for persons without disabilities
 In Nigeria, the 2018 National Demographic and Health
Survey reported that 7% of the population have some
difficulty with regards to various domains of disability,
and 1% have a lot of difficulty or cannot function in at
least one domain.45Unemployment rates of youths
were 77.3% for persons with disabilities compared to
49.2% for persons without disabilities. Unemployment
rates of adults were 62.5% for persons with disabilities
compared to 21.5% for persons without disabilities.
WHAT THE MEDIA CAN DO
• Be conversant with disability rights (constitution,
CRPD and Disability Acts
• Follow up on provisions in CRPD, constitution and
Disability Acts
• Tell stories of how PWDs are unable to enjoy market
access.
• Nothing about us without us. We need to contact
PWDs to tell their stories.
• Promote multimedia ways of communicating with the
public e.g, sign interpreter, mention names, audio etc.
WAYS FOR DISABILITY INCLUSION:

oCapacity Building Trainings for relevant stakeholders to

implement disability inclusive policies and
programmes.
oMassive awareness/Sensitization campaigns to address
the challenges and promote an Inclusive society.
oAdvocacy to National & State Houses of Assembly to
develop appropriate Policies, guidelines and
framework to address the barriers that excludes PWDs
in all facet of life.
o Establish disability commissions in all 36 states
including the FCT that would formulate and
implement disability inclusive policies to drive
the Programmes and Projects
 COMMENTS,
OBSERVATIONS
& QUESTIONS?