Sign language interpreters will be a permanent feature on the Nigerian national news, meaning COVID-19 information and other bulletins will be more accessible for people with hearing disabilities. The interpreters first appeared in late June 2020 and going forward will be on all primetime news programmes.
The inclusion of interpreters comes as global charity Sightsavers has been campaigning for more accessible ways of sharing information to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind during the global response to COVID-19. The Nigerian government has promised to carry forward the interpreters with permanent contracts following a pilot in July.
The interpreters will be employed initially through Inclusive Futures, a new UK aid funded global partnership of 16 development bodies led by Sightsavers. The organisations are collaborating to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities across healthcare, employment and education.
“I’m really excited to see this development and the commitment the Nigerian government has made. It shows the power of collective action and our ability at Sightsavers to advocate and make a real impact for people with disabilities.” said Rasak Adekoya, Sightsavers’ Programme Officer, based in Nigeria.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lives of people with disabilities are being put at greater risk because they are missing out on vital information that is not provided in accessible formats. Few materials are produced in signed languages, braille, pictorials or plain language, making it difficult for people with disabilities to receive the potentially life-saving health information they need. This is on top of the existing inequality and barriers to participation that many people with disabilities experience on a daily basis.
In Nigeria, the programme is focusing on better long-term prospects for jobseekers with disabilities and employers, improving inclusive primary education, developing an inclusive health approach to improve equity in access to eye care services, and tackling stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities using the media and radio.
