The media plays an important role in influencing public opinion and attitudes. The choice of words, images and messages determine the perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of the pubic towards PWD’s. Portraying PWD’s with dignity and respect in the media promotes more inclusive and tolerant societies. In Nigeria, specifically Plateau state, PWD’s often lack access to information about policies, laws and improvements in programmes and services that directly affect them. The project Connecting Our Voices to the world brings to fore the content of the National and Plateau State Disability Acts. Unfortunately, these Acts have not been communicated effectively to the PWDs communities and the general public. This project also focuses on the challenges that the rightsholders in Plateau State are facing through reporting. This, we have demonstrated through our numerous articles sharing the stories of persons with disabilities in our website www.qualitativemagazine.com which has brought opportunities to many rightsholders since we launched the online platform. One example is of Haruna Tata who got a scholarship from Yobe State Government after we shared his story on our website here.

Connecting the Voices of Persons with Disabilities to the World 

Jemya, a young woman in a village called Mobudi in Langtang South local government area of Plateau state was forced to drop out of school when she got to 15-16 years old and had grown too big for her parents to piggy-back carry her to school.  Jemya had suffered from polio that left her with a physical handicap but despite that her family was keen to see her continue with her education.  It was painful for the family that loved her dearly and whose only wish was to see Jemya get an education.   

Jemya was well known in the locality because of the love she had for education and had earned the nick-name, “school girl”.  She was an engaging young woman eager to further her education.  Her dream encountered headwinds after completing her primary school.  She now faced difficulty in mobility, she had grown too heavy for her parents to ferry to school on their back and furthermore the nearest secondary school was too far in the push-cart that the locals pushed her around in.  Jemya felt helpless in her current situation and felt even more marginalised by the voicelessness that her disability imposed upon her.         

In Nigeria, specifically Plateau state, PWD’s often lack access to information about policies, laws and improvements in programmes and services that directly affect them. It is therefore difficult for stories such as Jemya’s to be told.  This in turn makes it more difficult for her voice to be heard by policy makers and people who are in positions to assist.  In such situations the media plays an important role in influencing public opinion and attitudes especially towards people with disabilities. The choice of words, images and messages determine the perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of the pubic towards PWD.  When the media portrays PWD’ with dignity and respect it results in more inclusiveness and tolerance.      

The project Connecting Our Voices to the world, implemented by the Qualitative Magazine (TQM), aimed to bring to the fore the content of the National and Plateau State Disability Acts that had not been communicated effectively to the PWDs communities and the general public. The project also focused on the challenges that the rightsholders in Plateau State were facing through biased reporting.  

TQM believes in the qualitative principle that the voice of every person with a disability deserves to be heard. It has been the only Magazine in Nigeria that reports and showcases the issues and challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Nigeria and particularly Plateau state. The Magazine has not only interviewed and reported cases of abuse of PWD’s but more importantly, shared stories of persons from Plateau state who live with a disability who have broken many barriers. The Magazine has endeared itself to the hearts of many persons including non-disabled persons in Nigeria thereby making it the mouth-piece of the persons with disability community in Nigeria and Plateau state in particular 

Joshua and Bulus were on a tour of villages across Plateau State.  After traveling long distance from Jos to Mobudi Village in Langtang South, they met a teacher, who informed them about Jemya and her zeal to be in school. The teacher took them to the girl’s home where the team had interaction with her father (her mother had passed on). The team suggested to the father that they interview Jemya and share it with the public to see if she could get assistance. The team interviewed her and her story was published.  The most touching part of the interview was as follows: 

TQM: What request would like to make to the government or anybody that would like to help you? 

Jemya: I just want someone who can take me to school, so that in the future, l can take of myself. That is my appeal. 

TQM:  When you were in primary school or when you were going out, how do you get to where you want to go? 

Jemya: There is a cart that my people used to collect to push me in. 

TQM:  You don’t have a tricycle or a wheelchair for your movement? 

Jemya: Yes, l do not have, we only make use of the cart l told you about. 

Her story got the attention of philanthropists and government officials and as a result, she received a wheelchair and tricycle donation from well-wishers.     

This project has not only been able to provide a platform for PWDs to communicate to authorities and the general public about their plight but has also been important as a learning tool for PWDs to learn about legislation and policies enacted to assist them. This empowerment will lead to better demand and provision of services for PWDs in Plateau State and Nigeria in general.  

A critical insight by the project is that PWDs rural communities may not have the opportunity of getting their voice heard and they may live with their challenges forever. It is in the rural communities that a larger percentage of those who need direct assistance live and most interventions should be directed to the rural communities to encourage a good number of persons with disabilities to acquire education. There is also need to sustain advocacy on government responsibility to provide a policy framework to enhance availability of assistive products.