Speaking Up On Disability

The project strategy involved furthering the rights-based work of the disability sector by disseminating information, redressing discrimination with education, and supporting peer group activities. NUDIPU, an indigenous umbrella body of NGOs in the disability sector, had previously used radio to create an awareness for disability issues - with limited impact. To strengthen its work, NUDIPU sought to establish a dialogue between stakeholders, including PWDs, as part of a strategy for participation and mobilisation. To that end, the radio project was designed to address the following needs:

• Training strategies for life skills to promote integration and self-confidence among PWDs
• Systems to influence policies that support inclusiveness for disabled people
• Strategies to redress the attitudes of the communities at large
• Roles that allow disabled people to play a more active part in removing barriers that hinder access to services and participation in development
• Localised service delivery that overcomes constraints around travel faced by disabled people
• Promotion and extension of services to rural areas by encouraging community-based initiatives.

The project was implemented through a Co-ordinating Production Unit - the focus was skills transfer so that a team of PWDs would be trained in the tenets of development communications. This team began by conducting a needs assessment survey to identify information needs and shape radio programme content.

Fifteen RLCs led by members of NUDIPU provided a forum for local people to gather and listen to the programmes together. The issue of equitable access was emphasised by the structure of the RLCs, which included members of the community regardless of their disability status so that they might develop a better understanding of the implications of community integration. The hope was that these Clubs would both foster discussion of disability issues and build the confidence of disabled people to take action to combat negative attitudes. NUDIPU leaders passed audience feedback on to the programme producers in an effort to continually shape the series in response to community needs.

In the course of the project, 30 radio programmes were produced and broadcast on Radio Uganda; the idea was to create a regional channel of expression for education and lobbying around disability rights issues. The 30-minute-long programmes were broadcast weekly with each of the 3 languages on a different day (and different language service). One of programmes came on during the afternoon 'drive time'; however, this schedule was not feasible for the others because of the limited hours of broadcast for the various language services and for reasons of convenience (i.e., scheduling the RLC listening sessions). A typical radio programme included elements such as an opening and closing tune, narrator's commentary, news updates from the RLCs, councellors' letters, a role model profile, and a comic sketch.

In developing the programmes, organisers avoided labelling the series as dedicated to and directed toward PWDs but, rather, indicated that it is a programme about community integration and development. Along these lines, when interviewing the role model for the week (whose name was generated by RLCs themselves), organisers did not focus solely on issues related to PWDs but, instead, emphasised the key message for the week. Examples of key messages include "disability is not inability", "Sign language can be learned from Uganda National Association of the Deaf", "PWDs' rights are recognised with policy", "Your behaviour [e.g., approaching service providers] can determine your future", and "Sub-county councils are important in local development". In fact, organisers focussed on tailoring all items in a 30-minute broadcast to support the particular key message; the strategy involved repeating it again and again using different words. (In contrast, the news from the RLCs - which organisers did not expect to be too ambitious - featured a variety of areas of activity). During the RLC workshop following each broadcast, NUDIPU avoided simply presenting each week's key message to the RLCs. The worry was that doing so would stifle debate. Instead, facilitators enabled members to come to the conclusions themselves and explore as a community all the points of resistance. Access to services was a key module for 5 of the 30 programmes.

To broaden this listening and workshop experience, 200 Multi-Media Resource Kits were produced and disseminated to local disabled people's organisations (DPOs). The kits, which were based on the design and content of the radio series, included cassettes of the series, workbooks, and evaluation forms. They were designed to be used by DPOs seeking to conduct their own localised rights-based communication, training, and advocacy activities (e.g., workshops). The strategy here involved providing an opportunity to build partnerships between service providers and advocacy groups; one partner (LCI), in particular, saw the kits as a tool to engage PWDs in a residential setting in advocacy initiatives. LCI planned to adapt the advocacy kits for other countries in the region.

Disability, Rights.

Organisers are developing plans to roll out this project in East Africa.