Salé – The proceedings of the 16th edition of the National Disability Forum opened on Tuesday in Salé, at the initiative of the Mohammed VI National Centre for the Disabled, under the theme "Media and Disability: Realities and Challenges".
Organised under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, this event, which continues until 11 April, aims to improve the understanding and treatment of disability issues by the media in order to change dominant stereotypical representations and to contribute to the building of an inclusive society offering equal opportunities for the social inclusion of people with disabilities.
On this occasion, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the Management of the Mohammed VI National Centre for the Disabled, Mohamed Fikrat, indicated that since His accession to the Throne of His glorious ancestors, HM King Mohammed VI has launched several social projects to fight poverty and precariousness and to preserve human dignity.
He added that the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity has constantly promoted the social aspect and fought against various forms of poverty and marginalisation, through the adoption of social and economic support programmes, particularly for the category of people with disabilities who enjoy the Sovereign's High Solicitude.
Mr. Fikrat specified that the Mohammed VI National Centre for the Disabled constitutes an effective tool for strengthening the efforts deployed by civil society components regarding the social inclusion of people with disabilities, adding that the Centre is a national reference in terms of supporting this category, strengthening scientific research, exchanging successful expertise, and ensuring convergence between adopted programmes.
For his part, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, stated that this Forum is an occasion with a human and social dimension aimed at highlighting achievements for the protection of the rights of these people, recalling the Ministry's support for Moroccan youth, including those with disabilities.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister stressed that the Constitution ensures the preservation of the rights of people with disabilities and their inclusion in social life, adding that the Ministry is committed to supporting this category by working to create the conditions for an inclusive environment for young people with disabilities, allowing them to strengthen their cultural contribution.
He also recalled the measures taken by the Ministry to encourage this social category, notably the opening of cultural and youth establishments to associations interested in the issues of people with disabilities and their participation in the National Summer Camp Programme and various inclusive cultural activities.
For her part, the President of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), Amina Bouayach, affirmed that this Forum is an annual event aimed at examining human rights issues relating to people with disabilities.
The choice of the Forum's theme is not fortuitous, but stems from the conviction that the media can play a major role in enshrining the values of equality and dignity and strengthening the participation of people with disabilities in various fields of public life, she observed.
By shedding light on the issues of people with disabilities, the media can dismantle stereotypes concerning them, notably through society's awareness of their needs and the dissemination of a culture of acceptance of others.
The Commissioner and President of the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities in Africa at the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), Marie Louise Abomo, highlighted the under-representation of people with disabilities in the media and proposed an inclusive strategy to promote their rights and guarantee their visibility.
According to Ms. Abomo, the media play a central role in the perception of disability, calling for a rethink of media communication by adopting an inclusive approach based on fair and positive representation.
The issue of information accessibility for people with disabilities is crucial, noting that media content must be adapted to different types of disability through sign language transcription, subtitling, audio description, and easy-to-read formats, she said.
Furthermore, the inclusion of people with disabilities should not be limited to representation in media content, she added, affirming that it is fundamental to integrate them into journalism and communication professions by facilitating their training and hiring in newsrooms and audiovisual production companies.
The official opening of the Forum was marked by a tribute to media and information professionals and the signing of a partnership agreement between the Higher Institute of Information and Communication (ISIC) and the Mohammed VI National Centre for the Disabled.
Initialled by the Director of ISIC, Abdellatif Bensfia, and the Director of the Mohammed VI National Centre for the Disabled, Khalid Benhassan, this agreement aims to support training for media professionals on disability, in order to open new perspectives to further promote the presence of people with disabilities in the media in Morocco.
This article Opening in Salé of the 16th National Disability Forum appeared first on MAP Express.
