“Not only must the environment be changed for people with disabilities, but also the attitude towards them,” Lina Kushch

The influence of the media on the perception of people with disabilities was discussed during the National Forum on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which took place in Kyiv on December 3. The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, was among the participants in the forum.

One of the speakers at the forum was Lina Kushch, the First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). She told how stereotypes and bias create barriers in society and cited cases from the practice of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics.

“We need to change not only the environment for people with disabilities but also the attitude towards them, to treat them with respect and sensitivity, not with pity; to recognize the right of each person to be independent, to make their own choices and make decisions. And the task of journalists is to provide these people with information able to help them make decisions,” Lina Kushch emphasized.

According to her, journalists should make people with disabilities visible not because of “special needs” or “limited opportunities” but as those who build their own destiny. To include them through the media in the life of society so that they can realize themselves at the desired level. Do not feel sorry for them and do not heroize them, demotivating others who do not feel the strength to perform feats. Not to lower the limits of society in expecting results from them but to create conditions for them to live a normal life.

She emphasized that the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, which includes the leadership of the NUJU and the Union itself, sees its role in changing society’s approach to people with disabilities.

Forum participants drew attention to the fact that journalists often use inappropriate vocabulary that discriminates against people with disabilities: “deaf,” “deaf-mute” (instead of “person with hearing impairment”), “blind” (instead of “person with visual impairment”), “wheelchair person,” “wheelchair-bound person” (instead of “person using a wheelchair”), “mentally retarded,” “psycho” (instead of “a person with mental disorders”).

Answering questions, Lina Kushch spoke about the tools with which journalists are trained in proper approaches to covering the lives of people with disabilities, including thematic training sessions and individual consultations.

The First Secretary of the NUJU also emphasized the need to develop joint recommendations with specialized structures and public organizations that are relevant to the lives of people with disabilities, which would guide newsrooms, students, and individual journalists in covering the topic of barrier-free disability.

Based on the results of the forum and panel discussions, a joint resolution was adopted, including the issue of media participation in the development of barrier-free Ukraine.

The organizers of the event were the non-governmental union League of the Strong with the support of the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of Great Britain.

Danylo Sivak