Pacific UN Communicators Participate in Disability Inclusive Training

In the Pacific, the UNCTs across the region are supported by the Pacific UNCG, and it is imperative that Pacific UNCG communicators know how to respectfully, and correctly communicate with persons with disabilities when sharing their stories.  

To this end, yesterday, Pacific UNCG members participated in an engaging half-day workshop on disability inclusive communications and best practices for communicating with persons with disabilities.

Hosted by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) in Fiji, the workshop was run by UNRCO partners, Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), and saw about 30 members of the Pacific UNCG participate physically and online.

As part of the workshop, physical participants toured the Fiji National Council for Persons with Disabilities to learn what a fully inclusive building and workspace should look like.

The tour was also an opportunity to speak with officials who run the Council, many of whom are persons with disabilities themselves, about the work they do, the challenges they face, and what they want people to know about persons with disabilities. 

One official, Freddie Fatiaki, from the Fiji Paralympic’s Committee, said too much focus is placed on a person's disability and nothing else. 

“My message to people is that they need to focus on the ability, not on the physical or other disability,” Mr Fatiaki said. 

Some key outcomes from the workshop included commitments to: 

• Create inclusive and accessible content – ensuring there are captions, alternative text, and enlarged font.
• Rechecking stories with persons with disabilities before publishing
• A provision of reasonable accommodation, for example, allowing additional time, the use of portable ramps in infrastructure, etc
• Ensure the ability of persons with disabilities to participate in workshops
• Consent for photos.
• Highlight stories of persons with disabilities regularly e.g. monthly and ensuring this deliverable is added in UN Communications Strategies.
• Hiring of accessible venues when hosting workshops
• Ensure that visibility items are accessible, e.g. braille business cards
• Edit and review all communication UN agencies produce to ensure it does not use discriminatory words (such as 'handicapped' and 'special needs')
• More training for all office staff on a regular basis.

Refresher workshops will be hosted annually for members of the Pacific UNCG and some agencies have already hosted separate workshops on disability inclusion following this one.