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Rabat – Amina Bouayach, President of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), has stressed the importance of the National Forum on Disability as a platform to address the rights of people with disabilities.
The fruit of an effective partnership between the CNDH and the Mohammed VI National Center for the Disabled, the forum aims to address the challenges that persons with disabilities are facing.
Set to run from April 8-11, the event marks National Disability Day, which is commemorated annually on March 30.
This year’s event is taking place under the theme of “Media and Disability.”
In a statement, CNDH said the theme reflects its belief that media can play a central role in promoting values of equality and dignity and in dismantling stereotypes while enhancing the participation of persons with disabilities in all areas of life.
“Addressing timely issues related to the rights of persons with disabilities, especially in connection with the media, is not merely symbolic- it is part of a comprehensive and objective assessment of how well these rights are integrated into public policies and how society interacts with them,” Bouayach said.
She argued that the media could contribute not only to improving the living conditions of people with disabilities but also to promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion.
The CNDH chief also shared key observations on how national media deal with disability issues, acknowledging that the Council has continued to observe serious limitations like the absence of subtitles in many televised programs that exclude deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals from access to information.
Other challenges also include the scarcity of sign language interpretation, limiting access for the deaf community, and the lack of audio description for blind or visually impaired persons.
She also highlighted the weak compliance of national media websites and apps, which makes it difficult for persons with physical or visual impairment to use them.
“In terms of print and online media, we note a chronic weakness in coverage of disability-related issues in the overall human rights discourse,” she said, adding that disability issues also receive limited attention in programs, films, or news broadcasts.
“Persons with disabilities are often portrayed using stereotypes- either as heroes or victims- rather than through realistic representations that reflect the diversity of their experiences,” she said.
Journalists with disabilities are also underrepresented in media institutions, she lamented, further recalling the lack of accessibility adjustments in press conferences and debates.
Bouayach ended her speech by calling for supporting people with disabilities, including those seeking to launch their own media projects.
“I am pleased to announce the launch of a National Disability Excellence Initiative to be supervised by the national Human Rights Council,” she said, noting that the initiative will be officially launched at the end of this year.
