Disabled community calls for change_Lesotho Times Newspaper_9 April 2015

Name of article: Disabled community calls for change

Name of Publication: Lesotho Times Newspaper

Date: 9 April 2015

Country: Lesotho

Theme: Disability

Genre: News

GEM classification: Gender-blind

Skill: Language

Description: This is an article that speaks about a plea made by the Executive Director of the Lesotho National Federation of Organizations for the Disabled (LNFOD) to the Parliament urging for the passing of ‘disability-specific’ legislation so as to ensure protection of rights and provision of targeted services that would benefit people living with disability.

Analysis:

The story highlights the following:

• Call to enact ‘disability-specific’ legislation to ensure inclusion and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Push for the government to fulfill its international obligation of implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Even though the article concentrates on disability rights advocacy, it appears to be very limited in terms of providing a gender balance in sources since the story is only backed by the one source that is also male. The Executive Director of Lesotho National Federation of Organizations for the Disabled (LNFOD) is the single source of news quoted in this instance. In this way, the story lacks variety in perspective on disability-related developmental issues that would have otherwise been sufficiently presented by other male and female sources concerned in this field. As a result of lack of diversity, it can be concluded that this is a missed opportunity case for the reason that the reporter failed to explore alternative views that could have helped in further interrogating the effects of not having ‘disability-specific’ legislation in place.

The Executive Director is quoted to be speaking on behalf of the Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOS)  ; however it is worth-noting that by not giving individual men, women and or children with disability a platform to speak for themselves on the subject matter gets the on-going editorial problem in journalism of missing key voices in the news exacerbated. It makes good sense to include the opinions of the people facing challenges because of disabilities because they would provide their own account on how they are directly affected by the fact that there is no ‘disability-specific’ legislation in the country. Also, it could be heard from them as to what gaps exist between people with disability compared to able-bodied persons, perhaps indicate the types of interventions that would be appropriate in addressing those concerns and how the legislation would equalize opportunities. People living with disability would be an important additional source of news by giving perspective on the need for affirmative action policy and quota system regarding employment opportunities for instance. On the same note, the Ministry of Social Development could have been granted a chance to give their side of story on how they are working with disabled individuals and why the National Social Protection Strategy particularly on provision of disability grants, is not being implemented.

By not encompassing diversity in sources, the article missed an opportunity to look deeper into how inequalities due to disability affects both male and female persons living with disability differently in their daily life because of various gender roles etc. Resulting from this marginalization, the voice of those with disability on how they are able or not able to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms in the absence of the legislation is not recognized.