Disability awareness raised in Timor-Leste disaster reporting
This article was first published by ABC International Development in December 2019 (available here)
Above: Journalists interview a Village Chief about the considerations they give to people living with disabilities in Comoro, Dili. Photo credit: Justine Frazier
ABC North Coast Chief of Staff Justine Frazier has covered many emergencies in her 20+ years with the ABC and she was delighted to have the opportunity to mentor a group of 15 locals from Timor-Leste on disability-inclusive disaster reporting.
Justine and Timor-Leste based film-maker Salvador de Jesus recently hosted a three-day workshop on the subject in Dili, ahead of wet season, with participants from the media and Disabled People's Organisations (DPOs).
The project was one of many firsts - a first for the trainers, a first for the participants to come together on this subject and a first for the community to be exposed to the issue of disability inclusion in disaster related media content.
Timor-Leste is one of the regions poorest countries. The minimum wage is the equivalent of $168 per month but more than half the population (1.17million) lives on less the $3 a day.
Justine said her time in Timor-Leste was an experience she'll always remember.
"I've never worked in a developing country before, so this was an amazing experience. The crew we trained work very hard to help tell the stories of their communities and the DPOs insight was invaluable."
"I think one of the most rewarding aspects was to see the crew build relationships with each other and for the media to acknowledge they need to continue to work with the DPOs to not only ensure their stories are accurate but that the voices of those living with disabilities are heard. They also realised how they need to put more pressure on various agencies to get the critical information they need."
One of the biggest challenges was the language barrier. Justine does not speak Tetum or Portuguese, and most of the participants spoke very little English, which meant Salvador was kept busy as the interpreter. Yet participants were extremely grateful for the training and excited by the results.
"It helped me learn about reporting on natural disasters, especially disability inclusiveness and to use terms that are accessible for communication. It also helped me to pay more attention to people living with disability when I'm reporting about disasters." - Media participant
"It helped me because we can learn and could exchange our experience with the media and involve ourselves in the design of the media guidelines." - Media participant
In addition to creating a set of media accessibility and inclusivity guidelines to take back to their news rooms, participants worked together in the field to create radio and print content to publish locally.
Salvador said the training has been beneficial for the participants.
"Most of the journalists said they had never done disaster inclusive reporting before and were very happy with the training which had opened their eyes to consider people living with disabilities when doing disaster reporting".
"The content they produced was effective and relevant and used the guidelines as a reference when they interviewed in the field and importantly involved people living with disabilities".
Above: A resident of Dili who cares for her 26 year old son interviewed as part of the workshop. Her story was highlighted in the content published by the media participants. Photo credit: Justine Frazier
The project culminated in the recording and broadcast of a one-hour long TV talk-show on disability-inclusive disaster reporting, designed by the participants themselves.
The show received widespread praise and support for drawing attention to the issue. The Timor-Leste Civil Protection Authority explained how the show provided a unique opportunity to have a conversation with the DPOs and the media and that further discussions should continue to give a voice to those living with disabilities.
The project was a unique experience for a regional ABC Chief of Staff who doesn't usually get the chance to work overseas.
"It gave me a great insight into how people live in Timor-Leste, a better understanding of the history and struggles of the country and it challenged me professionally with a whole new way of looking at training and mentoring."
Above: Workshop participants and trainers Justine Frazier and Salvador de Jesus with their completion certificates. Photo credit: ABC International Development.
After the three-day workshop, Justine was able to visit the workplace of some of the participants and see first hand how their media operations work.
"One thing is for certain, it doesn't matter where you are and the level of resources you have or don't have, there is never enough time in the day for all the stories that need doing, we all share the same struggles juggling priorities."
As the Timorese season changes now from dry to wet, preparation is vital for all people - regardless of profession, ability, gender or age. The rain brings the possibility of floods. At least now, the voices of people living with disability have not only been heard but have also been amplified thanks to this collaboration.
The Inclusive Disaster Reporting Workshop was delivered by ABC International Development in partnership with Oxfam Timor-Leste as part of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership's Disaster READY program, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.