PWDs in Ghana: Anomah-Kodie Calls Out Gaps in Media Coverage of Persons with Disabilities

The programmes manager of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations, Peter Anomah-Kodie, has acknowledged that while the media has been the voice of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), there are gaps in their coverage, falling short in representing the concerns and needs of PWDs.

In an interview with JoyNews on Monday, March 17, 2025, Mr. Anomah-Kodie disclosed that PWDs have long faced the issue of misrepresentation by the media, often being portrayed as helpless due to their disabilities.

“Some of the challenges have been sometimes inaccurate stereotypes that some media outlets promote on their platforms, indicating that persons with disabilities are helpless solely because of their disability,” he said.

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He further stated that PWDs have limited representations within the media space, noting that most of the media houses do not have workers who are PWDs, which sometimes makes it difficult for them to push their issues and worries across.

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Mr. Anomah-Kodie also mentioned that PWDs find it difficult to access the media because of the nature of information presentation by the media.

“Most often, you’d realize that at the television stations, when they are reporting news, we don’t have sign language interpretations, and those who sometimes bring sign language interpretations, they put it at the corner of the screen, so sometimes you find it difficult as a person who is deaf to see the sign language interpretations.”

“And sometimes, as a visually impaired person like myself, you’ll be watching news or a program on television, and then the presenter will tell you (if you want to contribute to this program, just call the number on the screen), instead of calling the number.

He therefore advised that the media should pay attention to PWDs, emphasizing the importance of considering information accessibility, representation, and language to promote inclusivity.