| Azaraimy HH in Kuala Lumpur |
CERTAIN sections of society deem that terms such as ‘people with disability’ ‘disabled people,’ ‘less abled people,’ ‘PWD’ or commonly termed in Malay language articles as ‘Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU)’ as discriminatory, thereby subjecting these individuals to a certain degree of shame and degradation, and also disempowering them.
Similarly, terms such as ‘people with AIDS’ and ‘autistic’ can lead to stereotyping, and harbour the risk of nurturing a condescending attitude towards these vulnerable groups.
In view of this, human rights organisations such as the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is advocating for alternative wordings such the use of ‘people with different ability’ and ‘people with HIV positive.’
Unfortunately, discriminatory words such as ‘OKU’ are commonly used by the media. While the media is beginning to understand the discriminatory effects of such words, often times they are still used because they are commonly understood, but more importantly, these words sell.
However, the consensus among some news professionals, particularly those linked to human right advocacy, is that it is timely to put to rest these discriminatory terms so as to protect, improve and empower the marginalised or vulnerable groups from being stereotyped or discriminated against by the media.
Discussions being held at the AICHR Regional Forum on Media and Human Rights. – AZARAIMY HH
The AICHR recently held a special advocacy meeting with news practitioners and government representatives from Asean member countries. Carrying the theme ‘AICHR Regional Forum on Media and Human Rights in Asean,’ it was held at the Istana Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
The forum was a continuation of AICHR’s endeavour to reach out to media practitioners in Asean in promoting and protecting human rights in the region.
It was jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia with the support of national partners namely the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), and in collaboration with the Regional EU-Asean Dialogue Instrument (READI), Human Rights Facility.
The forum aimed at providing the media with a panoramic understanding and exposure on professionalism and ethics in reporting, and also discussed regional (Asean) and international human rights instruments in relation to the work of media practitioners.
It also aimed at providing an empowering platform for media practitioners and human rights experts to discuss and exchange views on the challenges and their potential roles in promoting and protecting human rights in Asean.
Seventy participants from Asean member countries participated in the forum, including representatives of AICHR, representatives from related government agencies of Asean member states, media practitioners, academicians and human rights experts who shared their thoughts and expertise on the development of human rights mechanisms and issues in Asean.
It is hoped the forum would lead to further contribute in raising awareness on human rights, including the Asean Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), among different segments of society in the region.
During the meeting, it was agreed upon that the choice of words in news reporting matters and that an ethical advocacy to protect human right interests needs to be formalise in improving the professionalism of news practitioners in the region.
AICHR representative from Thailand, Dr Seree Nonthasoor, a strong advocate of human right and an expert in international law, discussed the media’s use of discriminatory and often disempowering words.
People with different abilities must enjoy the same rights, freedom and non-stereotypical words as any other people, he said, adding that these rights are enshrined in the Asean Human Right Declaration.
He said that emphasising a person and his disability in a story while describing the person’s success or even crime contains elements of stereotyping.
“We don’t know for sure, but there are about 65 million people living in some form of disability in Asean. The number differs from country to country. On a whole, it is estimated by the World Health Organisation that there are about 1 billion people living with some form of disability around the world,” he said.
Often they are neglected and sidelined, and are at risk of poverty and exclusion. This is exclusion from education and opportunity in general. Some groups of them are at greater risk than others, including women and children with a condition. Many of the children have no access to education, and women with disability are prone to be poorer than men with disability.
“So we cannot put a straight-jacket on all groups of people with a disability,” Dr Nonthasoor highlighted.
He also emphasised that people with different abilities must be given equal opportunity so that they can make a contribution to society.
He discussed how a Japanese supermarket store, Isetan, opportunities are provided to people with different abilities.
“These disabilities in many Asean member countries are considered a sin or bad karma that the carriers must seek to overcome by himself, or just succumb or live with the condition,” Dr Nonthasoor added.
He said society must not put up a barrier for them to find work; they must be accommodated with appropriate facilities. He believes the media can play a big role in helping to bring awareness and in fighting against this stigmatisation and stereotyping.
Meanwhile, others such as Wong Yoon Loong, Vice-President of the Malaysian Confederation for the Disabled; and Mary Chen, editor of Challenges (Malaysia’s top cross-disability national magazine) also discussed comprehensively advocating the use of non-discriminatory languages towards the disabled, and to avoid focussing on the disability of a person when writing a story of a person with the condition.
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