Inclusive Futures is a disability-inclusive development initiative working to ensure all children and adults with a disability have the same opportunities as everyone else to access education, health and work opportunities. This consortium, led by Sightsavers, includes 15 other development organisations, the public and private sector, working with and for people with disabilities and the groups that represent them.
In Nigeria and Bangladesh, we鈥檙e supporting local media to produce programming that promotes formal employment for people with disabilities. And in both countries, as well as Tanzania, we鈥檙e producing 鈥� and supporting media partners to produce 鈥� creative, thought-provoking media programming which tackles stigma and discrimination around disability, and supports people with disabilities to have their voices featured more prominently in the media.
We鈥檙e already seeing some promising results. In Tanzania, we produced and aired a special season of our popular youth radio show, Niambie (鈥楾ell me鈥�), focused on different aspects of disability, and employed two young media trainees with disabilities to ensure the shows were sensitive, inclusive and reflected the issues young persons with disabilities face in the country.
After just three months, qualitative audience research indicated that the programmes had helped to increase knowledge and awareness of causes of disability, helped to dispel myths and misconceptions about disability, and challenged negative attitudes. In some cases, audiences reported taking positive attitudes as a result of listening, such as changing how they talked to people with disability in their community:
鈥淚 know a person with physical disability, he has leg impairment so I used to call him 鈥榤abaga鈥� [cripple]. After listening to the names that are good for people with disability, I stopped using that name because I now know it is discrimination.鈥� - Male- Dar es Salaam (Niambie listener)
We鈥檒l be taking learning from our work in Tanzania and working closely with consortium partners and disabled people鈥檚 organisations to bring our popular radio drama Story Story back to the airwaves in Nigeria. The show will have a distinct new focus on disability issues and will introduce diverse and exciting new characters with disabilities to help challenge societal stigma and discrimination.
Project information
| Project name | Inclusion Works and Disability Inclusive Development (DID), collectively known as Inclusive Futures |
| Funder | |
| Dates | 2018-ongoing |
| Themes | Disability rights, social inclusion, economic empowerment |
| Outputs | Capacity strengthening, radio magazine show, radio drama, digital content |
| Partners | Sightsavers, Action on Disability and Development (ADD International), Humanity and Inclusion, International Disability Alliance (IDA), Institute of Development Studies, Benetech, Youth Career Initiative, Development International (DI), BRAC, Leonard Cheshire, Light for the World, Sense International, Social Development Direct |
Our projects in Nigeria
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Challenging attitudes on disability: The return of Story Story
Our popular radio drama reflecting the lives of ordinary Nigerians is back on air across sub-Saharan Africa with a new focus 鈥� to transform attitudes around people with disabilities, with storylines, actors and writers that reflect their experiences. -
Inclusive Futures: media for a fairer world
As part of the Inclusive Futures consortium, we鈥檙e working through media to improve knowledge of the rights of people with disabilities, and challenging stigma, discrimination and negative social norms related to people with disabilities. -
Leave no one behind: Improving participation in the 2019 Nigerian Elections
We鈥檙e helping people in Nigeria become more involved in political processes and hold their leaders to account. With an emphasis on reaching young people, women, and people with disabilities, our content aims to ensure traditionally marginalised groups are heard. -
Helping improve child health through radio in Nigeria
Helping families and the wider community make informed decisions about childhood immunisation - with the aim of reducing preventable death and disability. -
Encouraging accountability in Nigeria
鲍鱼tv Media Action's radio dramas and discussion shows are encouraging political accountability in Nigeria. -
Tackling pneumonia and diarrhoea in Nigeria
A multiplatform media project - running between 2014 and 2016 - aiming to stop two of the biggest killers of children under five in Nigeria. -
Improving family health in northern Nigeria
Weekly radio show Ya Take Ne Arewa (What鈥檚 Happening up North) tackles health issues facing women, families and communities. -
Responding to HIV and AIDS in Nigeria
Between 2009 and 2014 鲍鱼tv Media Action provided accurate information about HIV and AIDS and tackled stigma through radio shows, short films and training for media professionals.
