WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2019: Journalists with impairment beg for inclusion

By Hilltopvoices Team

Journalists with visual impairment have used the 2019 edition of World Press Freedom Day to express the need for more inclusion in the organisation of public events in Cameroon and elsewhere in the world.

They were speaking to the Guardian Post in Bamenda on the side-lines of activities to mark the Day on May 3 organised by the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists CAMSEJ NW lead organiser, the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union, the Cameroon Community Media Network CCMN and Cameroon Association of Sports Journalists CASJ.  

Journalists with visual impairment pictured with media structure leaders in Bamenda on WPFD

Tancho Fidel ASG CAMASEJ NW reporter with NDEFCAM Radio Bamenda with visual seems to have a lighter challenge while on duty: “I use my brail when I go for coverage.it is just that when I go for coverage people will think what I am going to cover is not the same like what someone who is visually impaired will cover. Whereas it is the same story; so they will have that stigma. That is a major challenge I have… 

 “The challenge of getting sources in times of crisis like this because you may arrange with a source and for the fact that you are not seeing, the source maybe in a place u cannot see or meet him or her. Also if you are anchoring a program and they happen to bring a recorder in print you need assistant because you need cannot reprint and it will disturb a lot and you will have to start looking for someone who can assist you. Also a journalist is supposed to read and write and know more but most of the information is written in print and for a journalist with impairment to assist them is difficult because you need someone to read out for you. Anchoring some programs is difficult. Let’s say you want to do an animation program and you need people to call and give their SMS to request sound tracks. If you don’t have an android phone you will not know how to read the messages.” Bafong Collette another Journalist with visual impairment said. 

The President of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists CAMASEJ NW Ambe Macmillian Awa admits that it is a challenge within the society and explains that he had to appoint someone with visual impairment as one of his Secretaries because he believed in him. He expressed the wish for colleagues to help those with any form of impairment so they can do their job. He regretted complains tabled by the concerned but says inclusion is part of association’s agenda and hopes that development partners and other news sources will think same.