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This presentation was made at AYJNIHH launch of course on Disability and Media.
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Curricular Issues/Perspectives on Disability Communication
Dr Mira K. DesaiReader in Communication TechnologyCoordinator- PGD Communication &
MediaS.N.D.T. Women’s University
Juhu Campus, Mumbai
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 2
Course in disability communication: Some ??s
Why do we need a course like this?No existing course deals with itNo existing media knows how to handle itWe recognize the need for such course
What will this course do?Sensitize, Train, Educate all of US…..about how to handle disability issues for/in/with media and society
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 3
What must have been discussed…
‘Disability’ and issues related to condition Media and matters related to media Media content about/by disabled and disability Ability to critically view existing ‘handling’ of
disability issues by local/global media Skills to write/report/see/listen to
disability issues ‘in’ media and ‘for’ media Ability to see one’s own bias/prejudice
towards disabled and environment to handle that bias/prejudice
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 4
What I am going to discuss…
Construction of “disability” Scope of the term Disability in India/Indian media Mass media and disability Curriculum of disability
communication Curricular challenges
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 5
NORMAL (Standard/Norm)
Not So-NORMAL(Away from the standard/Norm)
What are our definitions??
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 6
Not-so-normal..in what sense?
Differently abled people People with Special needs
• Mobility• Labour• Resources• Fertility• Sexuality
Able-Bodied VERSUS Dis-abled
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 7
Disability Versus Ability Disability and ability are temporary state
of mind within the individual/collective space
Disability is a condition not a disease Ability is advantage not privilege Disability demands understanding not
sympathy Ability needs to be handled not taken for
granted
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 8
Why is ‘disability’ an issue?
Disability is a lack of ability relative to a personal/ group standard or norm.
In reality there is often simply a spectrum of ability.
It may involve physical impairment such as sensory impairment, cognitive or intellectual impairment, mental disorder (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability), or various types of chronic disease.
A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth.
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 9
Disability encompasses…. Body functions and structure Activities (related to tasks and actions by
an individual) and participation (involvement in a life situation)
Contextuality of condition: Information on severity and environmental factors (Education, Employment, the benefit system, support services, the built environment, the leisure industry, and politics)
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 10
We are referring to all…..as ‘1’
Austism Deaf Blindness Developmental
Delay Hearing Impaired Learning Disabilities Mental Retardation Multiple Disabilities Traumatic Brain
Injury
Orthopedic Impairments
Other Health Impairments
Speech and Language Impaired
Visual Impairment may be more……
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 11
Communication Challenges
“Disabled” as diverse group Communication ‘reach’ would vary for
each The means of communication can’t be
standardized Perception of receivers about disabled is a
challenging area Media deal with disabled as ‘one’ group
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 12
Disability in India 2.19 crore persons with disabilities in India They are 2.13 % of the total population. This includes persons with visual, hearing,
speech,locomotor and mental disabilities. 75 % of them live in rural areas 49 % of them are literate 34 % of them are employed
Source: Census 2001, GOI, New Delhi
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 13
“Disability”…in Indian Media??
Hindi Films: Dosti (1964), Koshish (1972), Sparsh(1980), Sadma(1983), Khamoshi - The Musical (1996), Lagaan (2001), Aankhen (2002), Koi Mil Gaya(2004), 15 Park Avenue(2005), Black(2005), Iqbal (2005), Tare Zameen Par(2007)…..
Advertising:…… Print: Books, magazines probably newspaper
columns but low visibility Television: DD news bulletins, Ba Bahu Baby… Theatre: Lot of work (not documented though) Internet………..
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 14
Google*…gives the picture!!
Search Term Pages on the World Wide Web
Pages from India
Disability 53,9,00,00052,3,00,000
3,93,0003,90,000
Disability Communication
20,8,00,00020,3,00,000
92,000 86,900
Disability Curriculum
4,6,80,000 4,3,50,000
16,100 15,100 * As per the search carried out on Feb 19 and March 5, 2009
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 15
Mass Media and Disabled-1
Commonly recurring disabling stereotypes: the disabled person as pitiable and pathetic object of curiosity or violence sinister or evil the super cripple laughable her/his own worst enemy a burden non-sexual being unable to participate in daily life
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 16
Mass Media and Disabled-2
Disabled are not so visible group in media By Hiding them we deny of disabled people's
role as consumers/members of society Some social advertisements present
distorted view of ‘disability and disabled people’ to raise money
Some glorify them to simplify the reality of their life
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 17
Disability Communication
Unit No.1: Sociology of Disabilities : Understanding Disabilities. Causes of Disability. Disability issues in the ancient world. Media and Disabilities.
Unit No.2 : Social ethics and Disability : Principles of Social ethics, Human Rights and Social Justice in the context -of disabilities.
Unit No.3 : Communication for the disabled : Formulation of messages for the disabled, Messages for the blind, Communication through sign language for the hearing impaired persons, Counselling.
Unit No.4 : Role Playing: Art of Communication for the retarded children and spastic children through drama and song. (Source: www.rehabcouncil.nic.in)
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 18
‘rehabcouncil.nic.in’ module Assumption that ‘disabled’ are silent and the
communication has to be ‘for’ them and not ‘by’ them
Assumption that ‘we’ ‘normal’ people want to communicate with them and not the other way round
Assumption that children with disability and adult with disability can be handled in the same manner
What about diverse needs of ‘different’ disabled people?
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 19
Curricular Challenge- Essential Interdisciplinarity
Special Education
Media & Communication
Studies
Medicine & Engineering
Social Work
Many be more…
SociologyPsychology
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 20
Disability communication Course Scope and scale of course Curriculum Learners- profile,
Needs/expectations, Abilities/skills, Motivations….
Expected outcome/opportunities
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 21
Basic curricular components
Learning objectives Learning content- Scope, Rationale Learning organisation- Duration, Sequencing Teaching/Learning methods Place of learning- Internship, exposure visits Teaching media and materials Assessment (exams) Certification
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 22
Possibilities….by each of us Understanding about terms like Impairment,
Handicapped, Disability Basic knowledge about medical, legal and
social aspects of disability Recognition of interplay of individual factors
(impairment, motivation and self-esteem) with external factors (the barriers, oppression and expectations and attitudes of other people)
Understanding & empathy with experiences of disabled and Expansion of that to others
Sensitization of others through media content
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 23
Lets hope…..to see Change in perspective rather than either
becoming protective, defensive or sympathetic Visibility/mainstreaming of disability issues ‘Disabled’ people as ‘message creators’ rather
than passive recipients of media Recognition of care takers/givers of ‘disabled’
and communication about/support for them Recognition of disabled as diverse group Assistive technology for disabled media users
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 24
Take a look….. Kamlesh Patel’s 6th February 2009
Ahmedabad audition of Dance India Dance
Patel has polio since age of five http://danceindiadance.in/videos/
contestants/2009/kamlesh-patel-ahmedabad-auditions-6th-feb/….To See how we treat disabled in our society
And how disabled want to be treated…….
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 25
“For the able-bodied, normal world we are representatives of many of the things they
most fear-tragedy, loss, dark and the unknown.…If everyone were disabled as we are, there would be no special situation to
consider” Paul Hunt, Disabled Britain writer and activistHunt, P. (ed.) 1966: Stigma: The Experience of Disability, London:
Geoffrey Chapman
6th March 2009 Disability Communication 26
Few Pointers…..>>> http://www.disabilityhistory.org http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in http://socialjustice.nic.in/disabled www.rehabcouncil.nic.in http://specialed.about.com/od/disabilities http://www.dnis.org/ http://www.wid.org/ www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies
Thank you very much for your time and patience
I can be reached @ [email protected]